Countless times I have been with friends and have been in deep conversation when they whip out their phones and start texting someone else.
I suppose there’s a part of me that finds this normal and not offensive, but still, is my conversation that boring? Is this other person more important and more interesting than I am? Honestly, yeah, they probably are, but still, what happened to being in the moment with someone?
I think our generation is starting to take our relationships for granted. We don’t value human interaction anymore. We can easily just pick up our phones and be connected with another person, so when we are actually physically with them it’s not as meaningful. What’s this mean for our relationships? Are we better friends because of technology or just better at pretending to care?
We can now stay connected with friends and family on literally a second by second basis, which can strengthen or threaten relationships. If we know everything about everyone all the time, does it impact our physical interactions?
When we are present with one another, do we have much to talk about or do we just go through the motions of meeting in person to feel like we are connecting? Maybe that’s why when we are with friends it is so easy to get distracted by other people who aren’t present with us yet are still demanding our attention.
I do think we can keep our ability to communicate in person with one another, but we need to be conscious of our interactions.
Recently, I have begun to leave my phone behind when I go to the grocery store or to class. I know it’s terrifying to be without that piece of plastic for an hour, but I have found my time without my phone refreshing. I am more aware of the people around me and actually consume myself with what they are talking about. I believe my relationships have strengthened because of my brief moments disconnected from technology.
I don’t think everyone needs to throw their phones away and swear off technology. Let’s face it, our generation would be completely lost without it. However, we need to start being in the moment and caring about the people we are with.
It’s great to see other college kids recognizing the downfall of all this technology. Friendship should be about quality, not quantity. There are only so many people you can care about at a time – do you need to know what your close friend’s cousin you met twice is up to over July 4th? Probably not. Get off FB and pay attention to the people in front of you or else you might look up one day and they’ll all be gone.