Look Up

Did you watch that video?

Good.

I have found myself re-watching this video for the past couple of years. The first time I ever saw it, it hit me like a cannon. I felt foolish, because I knew I was a victim of technology, just like everyone else. I went around preaching this video, posting it on social media (Ironic), and discussing it with friends. I wanted people to take it seriously, like I did. The amount of time we spend on our phones really is a huge issue, and it is sad to me that a lot of people don't see it that way. I am grateful that I have chosen to surround myself with people who tend to agree with me on this. I found myself often getting upset because I would spend my time with friends who would choose to hold their phone in front of their faces the entire time we would hang out. Now, when I first got a smart phone, I obviously thought it was the neatest thing, because I never had savvy gadgets growing up. Friends would often point out to me that I was spending way too much time online and they would express that it sort of hurt their feelings that I would rather look at my phone than look at them. I had to take a step back and really observe how much time I actually was spending on my phone. Once I did that, it has been a lot easier to put it down, and absorb myself in the world around me.....not the world of my iPhone.

As I sat and people-watched during my lunch break today, I was surprised at how many people had their phones out on the table. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised because it has become the norm to do so, but I certainly was. Also, almost every person in line was mindlessly scrolling Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Notice how I said "Mindlessly." They (most likely) didn't have any purpose or direction in doing so, except to just see into other people's lives. Why do we do this? Does this not bother anybody else? What is so special and personal about seeing an Instagram photo of your friend that has also been viewed by 300 other people? That is just the thing...it isn't personal. If I could have it my way, I would scratch Facebook, Instagram, and all of this Twitter bull crap and go back to E-Mail and snail mail. It feels so much more special to receive a personal e-mail from a friend with photos that they only want to share with you. And a physical letter? Even better. Is it really so fulfilling to log on and see that you have 364 likes on a photo? I don't even know 364 people! I went through my Instagram followers and cut them down to strictly my closest friends and family members. It does nothing for me to see a bunch of random strangers or people from high school who I haven't spoken to in years liking my photos. I guess it does it for some people, but certainly not me.

I am so happy that I was born in the 90s. I was able to have an amazing childhood where I played outside every single day. I called my friends up on the phone and asked to play and then I walked or rode my bike down to their houses. I wrote stories and colored pictures. I played house and pretended I was a doctor or a teacher. I played with dinosaur figurines and I did puzzles. I swung on swings and slid down slides. I watched my childhood through the VHS tapes that my mom so meticulously created.

But what about kids growing up now? In 20 years when they want to see videos of their childhood, will they only be able to see them in 7 second increments that have been posted online? Or childhood photos spoiled by filters? It is a shame to think so.

I definitely try my best to constantly be aware of my phone usage. I am lucky to have a boyfriend who enjoys having intellectual and deep discussions about many different things, and when we do so, I appreciate it when we can both put our phones away and not be distracted while we are talking.

As you can probably tell, I am not much of a writer but I do enjoy recording my thoughts. Social media and technology is something I am quite passionate about, so I may ramble on about this quite often.

Thanks for stopping by!

-Shelbi