Can you believe the nerve of some people to oddly suggest we turn off our cell phones or our internet for a few measly minutes, a day or the most horrific suggestion ever, while on a family vacation?! Truly, why? What good, could possibly come from such a daring feat? What is the disconnect conspiracy?
The technology we have spoils us in ways we couldn’t imagine just a couple of decades ago. When you know you’re going to be late, you can easily phone someone or even better, avoid a negative response, by texting that person instead. Thankfully, if your car breaks down you can safely phone from your vehicle and enjoy the many gigabytes of entertainment while waiting the hour to be rescued. It’s way more fun than watching cars or dare I say, PEOPLE go by.
Shopping is a breeze now, you don’t have to have any interaction with humans at all. You can sit at your desk or dining room table, with your wine and chocolate, and pick out that brightly colored dress you’ve been wanting for summer time with a simple point and click of the mouse. It doesn’t breathe either! Hopefully when it doesn’t fit because you didn’t actually fit it on in a dressing room, in a store, that you use to drive to, you can return it at a minimum charge and try again. Yes, technology at its best and a fine use of natural resources! A touch of sarcasm? Yes!
I suppose it all depends on your perspective.
One might see ordering and living online as a productive and useful way to interact. Others may see it as I do, a disconnect conspiracy. Human interaction is a part of who we are as a species. Babies need to be touched, to be heard, to be loved, to be nurtured. In turn they grow to repeat the same process over and over again. Therefore as a species, we grow and expand physically and emotionally. What other species does this? None, that I know of.
Imagine, dolphins buying their fish on the internet or calling another pod on their cell phones thousands of miles away. Honestly, that imagery cracks me up! First they have no digits, they’re fins are just too big for our keyboards. And I’m still waiting for the waterproof cell phone and laptop so I can snorkel and type my articles simultaneously. Point being, that neither are going to happen anytime soon. Mostly, I never ever want to see a dolphin type! They are as intelligent if not more so than we are, and should remain as nature intended. We have much to learn.
Now back to us, the humans. We will continue to evolve. However, at some points we forget that all this evolution and great technology can sometimes come with a huge unexpected cost to our family life. We forget that there are only so many hours, days and weeks. We forget that a kind gesture or a polite word is worth more than a week’s wages. Were you home to kiss your kids goodnight this week or out late at another business meeting? Did you remember your spouse’s birthday or was it last week? When was the last time you visited your parents or kids?
365 days go by very quickly the older you get. Those 52 weeks disappear without a trace when you work long hours and have a family. 12 months zip pass you in a blink of an eye because in this 21st century you don’t have to have human interaction. All you have to do is point and click!
It’s now the second month of summer, July and during this month we celebrate our independence. Remember that independence isn’t just from someone or some place as it was over 200 years ago, it’s now from something. That family vacation you take is freedom from the normal everyday things you have to do. It’s freedom from work, a time to unwind and regroup.
Disconnect from your cell phone for an hour, then a day or dare I say a whole entire week. Ok, who are we kidding that’s asking a bit too much. Discover the freedom of disengaging from the internet and loving the people you’re physically with; your family and perhaps even your friends.
Last thought for hopes of the big disconnect. The average person spends more time with the people they work with than their own flesh and blood.
Turn off that little blue screen, dial a number and turn LOL into actual laughter you can hear!