Back to Basics

I was sitting in the break room at work the other day, playing Doodle Fit on my iPod and waiting for my shift to start when one of the waiters, Craig, made a comment about technology. He said “I remember a day when people  would sit in the break room and actually talk to each other.”  I realized what he was saying was true, I looked around and there I was on my iPod, the girl next to me was texting on her blackberry and the bus boy was talking on his cell phone.

It’s pretty sad when you think about it, all these devices that are made to keep us connected just make us more antisocial in the end. In my mind we need to go back to basics. Strip away from technology and just start interacting with people. I think cell phones and iPods have made us more antisocial and fearful of people.

Think of this: you’re on the 95 heading to Orleans and some guy you’ve never met starts talking to you. What is your first reaction? I think for most people I’d be confusion followed with a “this guy is creeping me out”. Now flash back to the 50’s. If someone said hi to you on the street you wouldn’t think it was creepy at all, you’d think “Oh what a friendly guy!”

It’s a little ridiculous that we’ve bought into this consumer society but honestly, I don’t think we can go back. What’s done is done and now that cell phones are in our lives, we can’t get them out. I do think we need to realize what these devices are doing to us though. We need to try and stay as connected as we can to people and stop talking to screens all day. Your challenge of the week: stop and talk to your coworkers, they usually have interesting things to say. I know mine did.