People need solitude to be friends with themselves. We need silence to connect with our inner selves. In this world of mobile communication devices, silence and solitude has become rare and all the more precious.
I find it troubling to see that my daughter, her man, and so many others can no longer disconnect from their Blackberries. Wherever we go, they are checking their messages and texting others. It's done in restaurants, at birthday parties, in mid conversation et al. What could possibly be so important that it justifies such discourtesy? At the very least, leave the room if you must check your messages.
Nobody likes to feel irrelevant, but that is exactly how I feel when a text or a ring tone interrupts our face to face connection. It's like talking with someone, at a party, who is constantly scanning the room for someone more important to talk to. Cell phones are really useful devices for safety, keeping people informed of your whereabouts, checking meeting times and warning about road conditions. None of these need to be reported or checked in mid-conversation at social functions. Doing so, sends out the message that being in the now with fellow human beings is of lesser value. It is dear people, at the very least - rude, and at its worst - unkind.
There are enough situations in daily life that devalue us, we don't need it reinforced by our friends, nearest and dearest. The time seems to be at hand where human interaction is no longer prized and we are settling for imitations of life. Does LOL really mean laughter, and OMG really register genuine surprise? Will we ever be satisfied with :) when a real smile is needed? I'm from the generation that invented labour saving technology and strove to make life easier for people. We were on the threshold of a culture shift. Marshall McLuhan sounded the warning about the medium becoming the message and he was right. It's time to reflect on how far we, as a species, are prepared to go in surrendering ourselves. As individuals, we need to decide how much of our humanity we are willing consign to this technology addiction.
In our daily discourse, we could take the first step by turning off our cell phones to talk to each other. Let's stop referencing our senses in text, and instead, using our touch, sight, smell, laughter, emotion and intellect to again embrace one another in real time. I believe that we would see less road rage, less frustration and reduce the new phenomenon of pedestrian rage. A civil society requires civil citizens to function and the purpose of courtesy has been to lubricate society. Judging from what passes for social interaction in this technological world, we are all desperately in need of a lube job.
This is not a rant against my nearest and dearest. They are no worse or better than everyone else in their generation, being swept along by the tide of dehumanization. They are busy people doing the best they can and, no doubt, see these technological advances as a huge benefit. I honestly believe that they would be less stressed and busy if they unplugged more often. They need more time to listen to their inner selves and to each other. We all need some silence to make friends with ourselves.
