Because of a kidney transplant, I have to go to UC Med Center every month to have lab work done. In August, I entered the hallway to the lab check in and unfortunately there was a lengthy line. I took my place behind an elderly, African American woman. The wait became an annoyance and I perceived this lady was not comfortable with standing so long. So, we began to talk about why things were going so slow and shared the reason we were there. The line began to slowly move and I eventually checked in and was directed to the waiting area. I saw the same lady and decided to sit beside her. After a few moments, she quietly said, “We are the only ones here that are not hooked to their technology.” I suddenly looked through a different lens to see that everyone there was on their phones and no one was communicating.
We then began discussing the issue. She relayed to me that her daughter had driven her two children from Florida to Colorado and the grandchildren played games on their laptops all the way. They saw no landscape, no changes in the geographical makeup of their country, no people working different jobs, no steel mills, no corn fields, no new flowers, no new animal life, no new anything. I was reminded that my happiest times were road trips. So much to see that hadn’t been seen before. I could visualize the geographical changes from Colorado to the Pacific Coast and Colorado to New York, and south to Missouri. We discussed the loss of so many things because of new technology.
As I went to my lab in September, I was more attuned to this problem. When I sat down in the waiting room, I noted that once again everyone there was on their phones and no one talking. Ninety percent of people walking in the halls had their phones in their faces. Even as I walked on the sidewalk, most people were walking with their attention on their phones or avoiding eye contact. One person smiled and said hello. What has happened to us??? |
I remember the days in rural Colorado when we went to town on Saturdays and people were greeting each other on the streets and even if you didn’t know them there was always a friendly smile or a heartfelt hello. Children were introduced to family friends and were required to respond respectfully. In school there were no cell phones. Students learned how to communicate their thoughts and listen to the thoughts of others. In basic math classes you were required to memorize the multiplication tables and do your work by hand, not, by punching numbers into your phone. I am old enough to remember the “party line” telephone service where you shared a line with others. A great experience in patience!
But things are different now. A 2018 Pew Research Center showed that 95 percent of Americans have access to smartphones. And according to an IDC Research report, 18 to 44 year-olds who own smartphones spend in excess of two hours a day communicating with people via messaging or social media on their phones. Even more staggering is the fact that almost 80% of this group checks their smartphone at least once within 15 minutes after waking up. New findings even suggest that technological addiction is just as serious as substance abuse. Though the consequences may not be as threatening to our health, these actions certainly do steal your time and energy with little payback. |
I don’t believe that all that time is being spent on personal correspondence but just info gathering and gossip. People want to know other’s problems, but they also want to distance themselves from the emotional needs of others. Psychology Today also recently reported that smartphone usage may be contributing to a state of existence in which human communication is suffering. Those who constantly look to their smartphones for stimulation and connectedness may eventually lose their skills in face-to-face interactions. This is obvious in our society today. Students, in particular, who want to fit in or blend will put their crazy actions on social media and gain “likes” from people which they will never have a decent conversation. Then there are the cyber “bullies” who are just haters. They shut out those who believe differently, look different and live different life styles.
I am not discounting the value of being able to pull your phone out and connect with anybody anywhere, but our country is more disconnected now than ever before. By isolating yourself on your cellphone, conversing only with your social group, age group, economic group, racial group, and church affiliation, you can easily lose your empathy and understanding of other groups.
Professor of Anthropology and International Affairs, Alexander Dent along with other experts in the field of Anthropology concluded that cell phone usage could have a potentially detrimental impact on the environment, racial inequality and social anxieties. They acknowledged that smartphone ownership and usage may magnify race, class and gender divides. “We’re finding that cell phones can actually reinforce social inequality,” Dent said—and noted their links to real health concerns from heightened anxiety to near-sightedness. |
Maybe we should ask ourselves if tuning the world out is making us better neighbors or citizens of our country. Maybe we should consider whether we are teaching our children how to communicate, respect or understand the thoughts of others not in our social/economic group, and maybe we should advocate expanding our view of the world by appreciating environment and the people in it. Do we waste our precious time checking out our social status or our “likes” on Facebook.
As Christians, are we not obligated to “encourage one another daily”? In the Great Commission of Christ, didn’t He say go into all the world and make disciples? How is that done if you don’t communicate? Is going to church the best way to teach others to obey Christ? What about using our freedom now to communicate truth to the nation? How will others come to know conservative ideas if everyone is a zombie cellphone corpse. We can’t blame the government for loss of our First Amendment rights. We chose not to use them. |