One of the few remaining tradition in most household is the ‘no phones on the dinner table rule’. One that is aimed at encouraging communication among family members.
In a time when most industries are being disrupted by the fast-moving technology, one tends to ask whether the human interactions that we grew up in, with all the importance it had, is going extinct. Children are now spending more time in front of screens than they do in the fields leading to various consequences.
Day in day out people`s social skills are becoming more wanting since people are having difficulties in have proper face to face conversations.
Humans are social beings and no technology can ever outdo that. People are more interested in capturing the moment than enjoying the moment. Suddenly, people have this burning desire to prove that they were somewhere with someone or posting every milestone they make- nothing necessarily wrong with that but if you look keenly, most people are looking for someone to validate their existence showing signs of low self-esteem which can prove dangerous if not addressed immediately.
For as long as I can remember, the only time I never had my phone close to me, was when it was charging.
So, am I obsessed?
Allow me to break it down in series of questions
Do I get sudden panic attacks when I can’t find my phone? – YES
Do I sleep with my phone? – YES
Do I eat while operating my phone? – YES
Do I keep checking my social or email just in case I get an ‘’important notification’?’- YES
So, can you relate to some of the answers?
The main issue is not whether we are obsessed or not. It’s what are we willing to do about it
Whatever you are doing can’t be possibly important than family dinner, listening to your children when they want your attention, saving your breaking marriage because ‘’you’re always on your phone when you come home’’. Those emails will be there when you wake up. Your spouse may not.
When your loved ones start feeling like they are competing for your attention with your gadget, that’s when your world start crumbling down and in some cases, FAST.
Learn to balance your life. Life can be really short and are way more valuable than what you have in your virtual world.
You might have 1000+ followers but no one will be with you when you are at your lowest.
You might share your achievements and fun moments but they are not the ones you will be bursting into a big belly laugh with.
Learn to choose your priorities carefully.
At times, we hurt those we love without us even noticing. When using your phone at the dinner table, you send a rude message that the people you are texting and emailing, are more important than them. N o one wants to feel like an outsider.
If we allow such culture to continue, we could possibly be sited, a few years from now, at our sons and daughters graduation parties and we will realize that they can’t communicate in public gatherings and prefer to ‘tweet’ it.
Our social skills are in the brink of extinction and only we can save ourselves.