"We are more and more tethered to our devices these days" "I'm a dinosaur so I notice it more than many".
I think we have become unaware of our surroundings. That is dangerous on many levels. I watch people texting in the crosswalks of busy downtown streets and almost colliding with other pedestrians or crash their cars. I experience multiple instances of texting while driving every time I leave my home.
Some of my grandchildren do not even look up when grandma and grandpa visit. Ouch.
I'm not just reporting something we already know, I'm confessing my fears as to where this is going. Interpersonal skills and human experiences are dwindling and I see trouble on the horizon. I can't help noticing my business colleagues multitasking during our conversation. When it is time for them to answer, I often hear typing but no response or a response that does not fit the conversation.
This is not communication. It is insulting and impolite. Again, I'm a dinosaur so I notice it more because I come from an era when we had no distractions in our encounters with others. Our technology is amazing but it is also stealing a critical human skill - communication.
I am superimposing this trend on the future to when it becomes who we are. I am afraid for that day.
Perhaps we could assume we are having eye contact in our digital communication.
See you again soon.
Norman J Ball
Global Rescue Alliance