(ThyBlackMan.com) A few weeks ago my wife and I attended a family event at National Park New Jersey called the Butterfly Festival. It was a hot day but the park was filled with families taking advantage of the venue. There were vendors, food trucks, face painting and games for the children, and a tent full of butterflies and moths with visual exhibitions and lectures teaching about the lives of pollinators and the important functions they play in the ecosystem.
The lines were long so I was able to take it all in while waiting to enter the tent where the butterflies were located. It was a diverse crowd young and old, parents and grandparents with their children and grandchildren. The kids were playing games, spinning the hoola hoops, with corn-hole, bean bag tosses and running around having a good time. National Park is located by the Delaware River so to cool off we walked and sat by the river on the benches along the walking and jogging paths.
My wife and I noticed that most of the people on the paths had their cellphones out, facing down preoccupied with whatever was on their phones. This was true even for families and groups of teenagers and adults taking advantage of the trails. I was amazed, it was almost universal; people weren’t talking to each other or interacting eye to eye they were all on their phones texting and talking.
Yes it was hot but there was a slight breeze by the river nevertheless people were preoccupied with their phones. We watched them walk by and it was the same thing when they returned back the other way, sparse human interaction even if they were in a group, it was all about the phones.
I thought to myself how sad, how have we devolved as a society whereby in the midst of a wonderful natural park near a river, all some people could do was focus on their phones oblivious to the wonders of nature all around them. Yes the chose to visit the park but it didn’t appear to me they fully appreciated the fullness of being there.
I see this all the time whether I’m driving around or walking; I see people preoccupied with their phones, like walking Zombies totally consumed by whatever is on their screens. This applies to young and old alike, it’s amazing. How have we allowed ourselves to be so mesmerized and addicted to technology?
How is this phenomenon impacting how we interact with each other and our surroundings? More and more university studies are revealing an ironic reality, pervasive cellphone use is adversely impacting our communication skills. There is less eye to eye and face to face communication and the art of person to person dialogue is declining precipitously. Humans have traditionally used speech not only to communicate ideas, needs, wants and plans but as a means of social cohesion and psychological well-being. Prior to technology such as telegraphs, telephones, radio and television human interaction was mostly conducted in close proximity face to face and person to person. The advent of technology has allowed humans to expand the distance between themselves yet still communicate effectively. But at what price?
The downside of these developments is distance limits intimacy and the feelings of closeness. In many ways, distance dilutes the emotional linkage humans need to feel healthy, connected and included. In the old days when people spoke to each other they looked at one another, they paid close attention, remained focused on them and what they were saying giving them their undivided attention. There was a time it was impolite to multi-task or not render one’s full attention when someone was talking to you.
Today focused attention has gone by the wayside, smartphones and S.M.A.R.T. devices promote myopia, tunnel vision where users stay zoned out on their device, blocking out anything else that may be going on. Or they feel they can do more than one thing at a time, multitasking not realizing they are limiting and diluting their attention on both tasks even though they may be able to accomplish the project at hand. Multitasking can be dangerous especially if one is driving, operating equipment or responsible for others.
On a deeper social level our smartphones are undermining social interaction and cohesion. We often see families sitting around a table, no one is talking to each other all the attendees are focused on their cellphones. I’ve been in meetings and gatherings where instead of paying attention to the presenter or the goings on, people are scrolling and texting on their devices. This is a classic form of addition; only its an addiction to devices and content as opposed to substances or other activities.
Psychologists and social critics are warning this addiction is undermining our interpersonal communications skills. stifling our abilities to pick up subtle body language since most human communication is via body language such as facial expressions not just words. Human interaction is being impacted by technology.
More and more people are realizing we need to deprioritize technology and learn to reengage in direct interaction, conversation and dialogue. At some family gatherings and social events, requests are made that all cellphones be shut off put away or collected during the event. This way people will be more apt to be attentive, aware and engaged in what is going on while limiting distractions from the devices.
Technology is encroaching on our lives all the time. It is ubiquitous and all pervasive but it doesn’t have to control us! We still have agency and we can decide when and how to use it rather than it dominating us. We do not have to be slavishly dependent or addicted to technology. Make time to be aware of your surroundings, become mindful of the present moment, put down your device and concentrate on your own thoughts and feelings.
We have the power to control our own lives. When you are in a social setting be alert, attentive, put down your device, listen and interact with those around you, you might enjoy yourself, learn something new and have a great time.
Written by Junious Ricardo Stanton
Official website; http://fromtheramparts.blogspot.com
