You really are not on your phone

How have we become so attached to technology that we can’t leave it alone? How is that IPhones, Samsungs, Blackberries, Androids have become appendages to us rather than the accessories they were designed to be? How have these pieces of information carriers become so important to us that we would risk our own lives and the lives of others just so we can be in touch with someone else in such a cold and distant way. Instant contact but distant contact has become so important that we can’t seem to function without them. We have become addicted. Addicted to information. Addicted to the need to be responsive. Addicted to the need to feel important, wanted and needed.

I say this because yesterday morning I was woken out of a deep sleep by the desperate sound of a woman’s voice as we were taxiing down the runway. The pitch of her voice obviously awakening that instinctual mothering instinct deep within me letting me know there was a clear and present danger that I needed to be aware of - jolting me out of my sleep.

Disoriented and alert at the same time, I turned to the woman sitting next to me to see a look of disgust mixed with panic on her face as she repeated to the woman sitting next to her, “You are really not on your phone.”

The other woman shooed her away with her hand. Her conversation obviously more important than the feelings and fear of the other woman. As I observed the scene I noticed with chagrin that the lady with the phone glued to her ear also had her IPad on typing furiously into it. Totally disregarding the flight attendant’s instruction to turn off all electronic devices. Clearly disregarding the feelings of the woman sitting next to her. Totally disregarding the fact that she could be putting not only her life in danger but the lives of other people on the airplane as well. Mine included.  

The woman next to me became even more agitated as the airplane’s speed increased indicating we were about to take off. She pleaded with the other woman to at least turn off her phone and IPad while we were taking off. Her whole being shaking in despair and fear. As I looked around the plane, I observed there were several people still on their phones – texting, sending emails, talking, taking pictures. None seemed to be perturbed by the fact they were using technology while the plane was about to take off. And interestingly age, ethnicity nor gender mattered because they were from all walks of life.

I gave the young man behind me that look that said get off your phone when he looked up at me so he did. He then looked at the guy next to him with the same look and the guy beside him turned off his phone. As they were turning off their phones, the lady causing the angst for the lady next to me finally acquiesced and turned off her phone. And then there was a peace and calm as the plane lifted off the ground and started to make its ascent into the sky.

But for some reason I could not shake the thought that all of our lives on that airplane could have put into jeopardy because we are so addicted to information and exchanging information. So addicted to being in touch, to being responsive, to being in the know that we will do it to the detriment of ourselves and everyone else just to get in the last word. The question I asked myself after that and I am asking all of us to think about as well is, is it worth it for us to be so connected to our technology that we are losing touch with our ability to read people? Losing touch with our ability to be sensitive to the needs of others and feelings of others because most of our communication now is being done via IPhones, Samsungs, Blackberries, and other androids?

Have we become so desensitized that life really doesn’t matter if we can’t be in the know. If we can’t have on our phones at all times? That we are so into our phones we have become less aware of where we are and who we are with? Yesterday was a sobering lesson to me about how important it is to be aware of my surroundings because they are real as opposed to someone’s else reality that I am trying to be a part of through a phone or computer or some other piece of technology. It is better to be present, fully present than distracted by something that has become an addiction. By a virtual reality rather than living and enjoying the place I am in right now.

Life is too short to live virtually. We need to live and breath and enjoy all that is happening in real time in our lives rather than what is coming to us via a screen or telephone.