Distracted

               The air port was bustling with passengers headed for flights; with time to kill before I boarded a few hours of people watching seemed appropriate. Spotting a chair I sat down to observe, it began the same as I scanned the surroundings looking for entertainment. Everyone went about their lives, unaware of the eye by which they were being followed, but something was different about this trip from the one I took a few years ago. There was no frantic parent attempting to calm board screaming child, rude teen arguing with anything placed before it or lady full of stories trying to strike up a conversation. It seemed there was less human interaction, everyone seemed… distracted.

                I began searching for what was stealing the comical moments of people watching. In chairs everywhere Parents sat staring into laptops busy with work handing over their iphones to their children. Teens slouched with music streaming into their ears updating facebook in-between text messages eliminating any possibility of the lady full of stories to striking up a conversation, but even she waited with eyes glued to a kindle. The culprit of the silence did not take long to find as devices were found in almost every pair of hands regardless of age.

                Technology has done much to eliminate the boredom of waiting, but in doing so it has decreased human interaction. The extent it will continue to drift in person interaction is not known , but it is evident a great deal of our time has been devoted to the  different forms of technology. With so many available, it has become so easy to find ourselves hidden behind our makes of electronics.

Why The Silence

Silence fills the house as mom sits at the computer checking email, dad watches the news and I sit writing this blog on my laptop. It’s 8:30pm and I’ve probably said less than 10 words to my family having been home since 6:00. Its obvious technology has stolen our attention, but the question must be raised, what have we allowed these gadgets and gizmos to replace?

I vaguely remember the days of gathering around the dinner table where stories were told and discussions, good and bad often took place. Our family is now commonly found gazing into the TV being hushed during dinner while watching the news. Don’t get me wrong, there was the occasional pizza night where we would spend time watching a movie together, but even those have become scares with multiple laptops and TV’s available. Often times each one of us can be found watching the same show in a different room. I believe the results of this loss of communication have only begun to show through the rising divorce rates and tethering family relationships, as people are not aware of what the everyday communication spent around the dinner table provided.

What's The Buzz

“Hot and dangerous if you’re one of us than roll with us…” Kesha blared from the stereo of my Rav 4. “So let’s go oh oh LETS GO!” two voices belted out at the top of their lungs. “We’re dancing like we’re dumb dum dum du du du dumb.” I sang as my hands danced along with beat of the music. This car dance party began with my friend in the passenger seat beside me, but it seemed somewhere mid-song Kesha and I had lost her attention to the extension of her hand.  

I’m not saying doing two things at once is wrong, but in this instance I did feel a twinge of disappointment when I became aware it was I who was the lonely off tune voice in the car. It made me recall all the times before when I had sat in my friend’s exact position and done the same thing; only giving those who I was with half of my attention as the other half was given to my cell phone. At the time I saw no harm in giving half or even more attention to texting while in the presence of someone else, but after being in the others shoes I realized, it’s being selfish.

                Often times we are so worried about the future we forget to live in the here and now.  Even as I write this my attention is split by my phone sitting to my left buzzing with each new text and changing songs on my ihome on the right, when my time would be most efficiently spend if I could keep focused on the Laptop in front of me. It’s not only efficiency that technologies effect, but our relationships with people are too often ignored. I can so easily get caught up in a conversation through texting while in the presence of someone else. At the time the technological discussion seems important, but when looking back I wish I had put the phone aside and savored the quality time. I have realized the moments you spend with family and friends can never be retrieved, but the texts can always wait for a later time.

Face Time

The movie had been over for hours and upon walking into the dim light room, 4 bodies were found lying motionless on the couch. The only light came from the corner where the Philips icon bounced around the flat screen the victims eyes appeared glued to. An eerie silence filled the room between the occasional “Beat that!” or “You don’t even know what that means!” coming from the darkness. After a closer look, it could be seen, it was not the entertaining Philips icon that held the viewer’s attention captive, but a portable device that lay in each pair of hands. Now the question may be asked; What was it that held these viewers captive for time long enough for the Philips icon to make multiple rounds across the T.V screen?

First let me explain the four on the couch were Rachel, her sister Kati, Jeremy and I who had finished the movie Inception and after, whipped out the iphones. All texts answered and statues updated, it seemed appropriate to begin the most addicting app known to iphone owners, Words With Friends (Capitalization honor noted).

Words With Friends is not just any game; it’s more like joy at your finger tips. If you are not familiar with it, familiarize yourself, but consider yourself warned; by opening this app with the touch of a finger the competition begins, and under “your move” all challenges from friends await. As the board begins to fill spirits rise, and when you build that impressive word and hit send you just know it screams “Beat that!” to your competitor. Yes, there are those, not saying any names RACHEL, who randomly place letters until finding one that sends, creating words such as besmut. What that even means I still don’t have a clue, and obviously they do not either which makes even more of a drive to want to beat them.

All fun aside, it was Rachel’s dad who walked into the Philips lit room and broke our attention by raising the simple question, “Couldn’t you and Jamie have the same amount of interaction if Jamie was at her own house?” Though we were having fun, what he said is quite true, and is becoming more common in our society. Technology has improved communication in many ways, such as we may now see and talk to someone who is all the way across the world, but it has also hindered true communication.

 I don’t know how many times I’ve called, texted or facebook chatted my family in the house just because I didn’t want to get up. I of all people understand how walking ALL the way down the steps can be quite tiresome, but let’s face it most of us could use the exercise anyway. Thankfully, this is not the only way I communicate and I share face to face relationships, but for many people their relationships are technologically based and they don’t see a problem with it.

If you’ve ever been apart from a loved one for an extended period of time, you can’t honestly tell me communicating through technology is the same as having face to face interaction. It is wonderful to stay connected with family and friends using facebook or talking on the phone, but when we have the chance to spend face to face time with these people, often times we have become so bogged down by  technology we can’t seem to give them our full attention.  I believe technological communication can absolutely be a wonderful thing if used in moderation as an additional form of communication, but when it interferes with face to face interaction, this is when I see that a problem arises.

Game Time

Just last night mom decided we would take part in something scarcely heard of these days filled with modern technology, Game Time. Yes, I am aware of the capitalization, but I feel as though a night such as this is entirely deserving of such an honor. I am not talking about nights where you stay up till all hours straining to keep your eyeballs open as you cannot seem to tear yourself away from games such as, angry birds, words with friends, call of duty... Ring any bells? I know I for one have become victim to these, but what I am referring to is something entirely different.

You might be wondering what this night is and why it earns the capitalization honor. Well I’m going to tell you exactly that. Let me first explain, Game Time for my family refers to the hooting, hollering, falling out of your chair laughing nights we spend around the table playing games. In a world filled with apps, video games and movies, these have become unheard of for most families; therefore I see further explanation may be in need, so here you go.

Last night began with a bang as we broke out the games, and when I say, “began with a bang” I mean literally, “began with a bang”. In our family it is a given fact at least one person will end up victim to the floor. In last night’s case it was Kirstin who hit the floor, or should I say dance floor, flying as she beetboxing her way down twirling to her own music as screams and shouts filled the room until her identity of break dancer was revealed. Tough the night wasn’t absent of technology as mom texted a friend, who she called her lifeline and sent her absurd definitions in balderdash that brought tears to our eyes as we laughed, Game Time provided fun for everyone that technology simply can’t offer.

                So I encourage you, log off facebook, put down your iphone and break out the family games. If you don’t find it entertaining fine, go back to your technology world, but you can rest assured my family game nights are far from over.