And being on a roll, I may
as well finish my ‘new fangled gadget’ rant. I’ve got another bone to pick.
The relationship that people
are developing with their own hand is somewhat disturbing.
Look around any public place
… or even the street. An amazing number of people, certainly the ones under 40,
are staring at their hands. I’m sure
you’ve seen this – a half dozen people sitting in a row at an airport, every
single one of them intent on connecting with anyone but the person sitting
beside them. It’s bizarre. And frankly, it’s a little bit sad.
A surprising number of
people have become so tied – or so addicted – that they cannot go a few hours
without checking to see …… what, I’m not sure.
I guess that someone is sending them earth shattering news that can’t
wait until they’re alone. Whatever did
we do before every person with a cell phone had access to each other at every single
moment. Whatever did we do when we
actually had to be with the people we were with?
It is the ‘not being
present’ that gets my goat. I see it
happening more and more. The rudeness is becoming the norm. I have had people sit at my own dinner table
with their eyes glued to their hands, searching for a conversation that is apparently
more interesting that what the in the flesh people are offering. You would
never think of going and turning your computer on in the midst of a
conversation.
I have been at meetings
where people are engaged with their devices rather than focusing on the
business at hand, when it’s only going to be an hour and their precious message
will be safely and patiently waiting for them anyway. It is not a matter of multi-tasking. It’s a
matter of priorities, of blatantly saying "these other people - my OWN world and concerns are far more important than being with you right now."
I was at a conference last
year with an excellent International keynote speaker who had an incredible
amount of wisdom and knowledge to share. It would have cost a fortune to bring
him half way around the world. It was
such a great opportunity that high school students were bussed in to hear
him. The teacher sat in front of me. She
spent the entire time of the presentation on her Blackberry – checking her
email, texting people. It was rude to the speaker and distracting to people
around her. Besides being a poor example for her students, I wondered how she
would lead a discussion back in the classroom.
I really, really hope that we
soon get over the novelty of it all and settle down to being where we are, when we and
treasuring the time with who we’re with in real time/real life.
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