When did we stop talking to each other?
Are we too tied to our screens?
The other day I walked into a restaurant for a meal. At the table nearby, a family with 2 children was eating a meal. They all were on their mobile devices. A few days later, my sister and her daughter came over to watch a movie with Mom and I. It was delightful, except the girl kept surfing her cell.
This is the reality of our age.
The Matrix is so compelling because it touches on reality. For many people, virtual reality is more “real” than actual interactions even with so-called close friends and family.
When I was in grad school, I often saw people walking around staring at their mobile device, rather than experiencing the world around them. They didn’t enjoy the beauty of the flowers and the trees, or let their thoughts drift the way I used to as a child before the advent of social media and the umbilical connection to the cell phone.
When I was a child, I talked to people, I didn’t just text.
I spent time interacting with grandparents, aunts and uncles, and my parents’ friends. I was forced to play with other children who I may not have had much in common with. Yes, sometimes it was boring, but I learned how to relate to a variety of people.
When I started dating, we were often forced to see the pain we might cause. We couldn’t just ghost them.
Instead of being immersed in a reflective bubble where every opinion is imitative, I was exposed to different viewpoints. Some of which I hated, but… I wasn’t stuck in a narrow subculture. I indulged fantasies but did not live in a fantasy world.
Covid has just accelerated the process. Zoom meetings replace personal contact and masks hide expressions. Sure, we can smile with our eyes like Tyra Banks but it’s not as fulfilling as a genuine grin.
No wonder teenagers are more depressed. And young children are academically falling behind. It seems that being able to see peoples’ mouths helps little kids understand language.
What should we do?
Bill Gates and Steve Jobs restricted access to social media for their own kids. Why?
What would happen if families actually interacted at the dinner table? One meal a day. Where you ask questions and share the highlights of your day.
What would happen if you allowed yourself or your children to be bored sometimes? Is it necessary or healthy to be constantly plugged in?
