What are we coming to, that our relationships with our cell phones, games and MP3 players have become so much more important than our people relationships that we won’t shut them off, but shut off people instead?
Last night I went with my friend and his daughter to dinner at a favorite local restaurant. Established entity in the community for years, it’s where sports teams have their end-of- season parties, friends meet up for drinks after work, church-goers have brunch and families go for dinner. It’s a place to talk and connect.
Soon after we ordered our drinks, a family was seated at the next table. It was comprised of mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, and preteen and teenage daughters. I noticed something that I’ve been seeing more and more of lately: one or more of the family members will disengage from conversation with the others and engage instead with an electronic device all by themselves. In this case, the younger daughter separated herself from the others, her eyes glued to the blue-white electronic screen of a handheld electronic game that was illuminating her face in the dim restaurant light. She did not once look up except to place her order with the waitress. I did not observe her talking with or even turning toward anyone else at the table. She sat fairly much immobile, staring at the screen even while eating her meal. The others seemed to think nothing of it.
My friend noticed it, too, and reminded me of another evening at a different restaurant where the patrons in the next booth were each engaged with an electronic device throughout their meal, carrying on little conversation and hardly even looking at each other.
What do we value?
I’m not saying we should get rid of our devices. They are useful, convenient and entertaining. But should we use them in such a way as to divide and isolate ourselves from our precious friends, family and lovers? Isn’t face-to-face, human-to-human connection so much more valuable than these things?
Remember Stephen Stills’ lyrics, If you can’t be with the one you love, Love the one you’re with? Well, how about when you are with the one(s) you love, turn off your devices and actually be with them? Shut off your iTouch or whatever you’re packing and let them light up your face instead. Won’t that make for better relationships?
