I have been musing lately about how far things have come with regards to social communication. By this I mean the maniacal reliance many have on their smartphone and also the use of social media ( Facebook and Twitter mostly ) to communicate with others.
I have a smart phone and I will admit I use it frequently. I do not however use it anywhere near the level that I observe others in public. A few observations I have made recently:
> An attractive couple sitting on a Saturday night at a romantic, better than average restaurant restaurant. I was sitting at the next table with 5 other people. We were having a lot of fun. The beverages were being rapidly consumed , the appetizers were being inhaled. Much laughter taking place. Now, to be clear this was not a place with quiet ambiance. It was about a 7 on the noise scale and the overall environment was rather buoyant. These two sat there typing away on their smart phones about 60% of the time. The male looked over at us several times with an obvious look of displeasure when we had erupted in group laughter at something that had been said. I was really amazed at how they found their smart phones of more interest than each other.
Since then whenever I am out socially I take the time to observe others behaviour:
> Often see people walking down busy sidewalks in Toronto typing away on their phones. The interesting thing is that there are so many people doing it that they often run into one another!
> In a 2 week period I was at a Blue Jays game , Leafs Game, Red Sox game and a Killers concert and I was blow away by the amount of time everyone around me spent texting on their smart phones. The amount of money a ticket costs and instea of just staying in the moment they are absorbed by staying constantly in touch with others.
> At work I have instituted a no smart phone policy in meetings in my department. It was getting silly. The only person not on their smart phone was the person speaking!
I could go on and on about my take on social media but I will just say this ... do we really , truly think that others are that interested in the minutiae and completely inane happenings in our lives?! "Wow ... just dropped a massive deuce at Tim Horton's on Front!!! Off to the Raptor's game"!!! Really?!?!
I'd rather just pick up the phone or meet with someone face to face as much as I can. Failing that I send e-mails to friends and family as often as I can to maintain semblance of contact.
So here is my question / point after my rant: I believe that we will see an 'adjustment' or 'correction' with regards to this behaviour. I think over time people will desire to use technology less than they currently do to communicate in a meaningful way. Text is great for quick notes ( "running a few minutes behind. Sorry. See you in 15"! ) but I have been trying my best to text less and speak live more. I do everything in my power in social situations to stay present and put my damn Blackberry away! What are everyone else's thoughts?
Champ
I have a smart phone and I will admit I use it frequently. I do not however use it anywhere near the level that I observe others in public. A few observations I have made recently:
> An attractive couple sitting on a Saturday night at a romantic, better than average restaurant restaurant. I was sitting at the next table with 5 other people. We were having a lot of fun. The beverages were being rapidly consumed , the appetizers were being inhaled. Much laughter taking place. Now, to be clear this was not a place with quiet ambiance. It was about a 7 on the noise scale and the overall environment was rather buoyant. These two sat there typing away on their smart phones about 60% of the time. The male looked over at us several times with an obvious look of displeasure when we had erupted in group laughter at something that had been said. I was really amazed at how they found their smart phones of more interest than each other.
Since then whenever I am out socially I take the time to observe others behaviour:
> Often see people walking down busy sidewalks in Toronto typing away on their phones. The interesting thing is that there are so many people doing it that they often run into one another!
> In a 2 week period I was at a Blue Jays game , Leafs Game, Red Sox game and a Killers concert and I was blow away by the amount of time everyone around me spent texting on their smart phones. The amount of money a ticket costs and instea of just staying in the moment they are absorbed by staying constantly in touch with others.
> At work I have instituted a no smart phone policy in meetings in my department. It was getting silly. The only person not on their smart phone was the person speaking!
I could go on and on about my take on social media but I will just say this ... do we really , truly think that others are that interested in the minutiae and completely inane happenings in our lives?! "Wow ... just dropped a massive deuce at Tim Horton's on Front!!! Off to the Raptor's game"!!! Really?!?!
I'd rather just pick up the phone or meet with someone face to face as much as I can. Failing that I send e-mails to friends and family as often as I can to maintain semblance of contact.
So here is my question / point after my rant: I believe that we will see an 'adjustment' or 'correction' with regards to this behaviour. I think over time people will desire to use technology less than they currently do to communicate in a meaningful way. Text is great for quick notes ( "running a few minutes behind. Sorry. See you in 15"! ) but I have been trying my best to text less and speak live more. I do everything in my power in social situations to stay present and put my damn Blackberry away! What are everyone else's thoughts?
Champ
