Is social media augmenting your life or running it? A UK poll conducted by Sheilas’ Wheels Home Insurance titled, “The Tech-iquette Report,” illustrated our obsession with staying connected. Respondents admitted to using their phones for an average of 48 minutes during a night out. 34% said they text and e-mail while having a face-to-face conversation with another person. In fact, 13% of individuals surveyed in the UK stated that their significant other spends more time glued to their phone than talking with them. Offline relationships are being affected by our incessant need to keep up with our virtual lives. Spending time with friends, family, and loved ones without checking text, blog, social networking, or e-mail activity is becoming increasingly less common.
Jackie Brown of Sheilas’ Wheels said, “As more and more of us couldn’t imagine life without a phone in arm’s reach, personal relationships are being affected. Whether it’s a night out with friends or even going to bed at night, texting and updating social networking sites seems to be the norm with face-to-face conversations taking second best.”
Some individuals experience a need to distract themselves and social norms haven’t been firmly established to indicate when to unplug. There is no way to be present in a real life interaction if one eye is fixed on a computer or cell phone screen. In an article in the Atlantic, Stephen Marche notes that our connections have “grown broader but shallower.”
Marche continues that social media has created valid concerns including, “the fears that Facebook is interfering with our real friendships, distancing us from each other, making us lonelier; and that social networking might be spreading the very isolation it seemed designed to conquer.”
It may be time to regularly unplug. The fact that many can’t even remember a time when no one was indulging in a technology break during a movie night or dinner out, is a hint that interpersonal communications and relationships are suffering. Taking a conscious break from electronic devices can have an enormous impact on our wellbeing and even physical and mental health. Focusing on face-to-face interactions, keeps us grounded and mindful. Unplugging stimulates creativity, curiosity, and intimacy. Take a walk in nature, temporarily ban cell phones, computers, and tablets when spending quality time with others, get active, and challenge your brain. A digital obsession is a recipe for depression, anxiety, and stress.
Working on our soft skills and communication skills will give us an edge personally and professionally. Relying on technology responsibly and not in an addictive manner, will enable us to rekindle our relationships. Humans are social beings and true socialization doesn’t occur online.
As entrepreneur and motivational counselor, Jim Rohn, said, “Give whatever you are doing and whoever you are with the gift of your attention.”
ireconnect
avidobserver
September 28, 2012
Hello there,
This is a very interesting article that you have written. I happen to have the same point of view when it comes to the usage of technology, that is, whether or not we are merely using or abusing the many a technology provided to us. The best way would perhaps be, having a “perfect balance” in the use of technology.
However, the questions are maybe: What would be a perfect balance? How would it affect us and of course why should there even be a perfect balance. Nowadays, what I see amongst many people is a constant need to be online.
Perhaps, it might be because of the way the world itself is evolving. It is undeniably more technological advanced and will be in the future too but at the expense of the warmth that human relations once had, in my opinion. In addition, I also think it depends on the person, for those aware of the impact that technology has may, or may not also, use it in a more appropriate manner. However, what would appropriateness mean in this very situation? Would it be, constantly refraining yourself from using the internet in order to feel “free” and play out-door games rather than computer games or would it simply mean balancing your time between real life socialisation and online socialisation?
Feel free to comment on my blog where I talk or mostly rant about the observations I have made on technology and its impact on human relations.
http://avidobserver.wordpress.com/
Regards,
Swaraj Nunkoo
ireconnect
October 3, 2012
Thank you so much for the insightful comment. I think finding balance and even defining balance is difficult. There are so many people who use technology appropriately and still make time for face-to-face real world interactions. But others definitely use virtual means at the expense of human contact. For me personally, I find balance by using technology (blogs, social media, e-mail, etc.) in situations where it improves productivity, helps build my business, and and face-to-face interactions aren’t possible. But I make all attempts to meet in person particularly when it involves complex decisions or important conversations. I also like spending time with family and friends without technological interruptions. Like only using my cell phone for emergencies after 6 p.m. and not checking work e-mail on the weekends. You’ve brought up a lot of good points. I’ll be sure to stop on over at your blog.