"I miss -- from the earlier '90s -- when there were no cell phones. There was just a little bit of a slower pace and less input. More room for creativity and pondering life. I think we are very distracted in this new world and we want to capture everything." - Lisa Loeb
Do you ever think back to the days before smartphones? Back when everyone could not be instantly accessible at any given time. Or back when everything was not caught on camera? Or perhaps back when every aspect of our lives were not broadcasted on social media because we did not have the ability to "snap" every moment (thanks Snapchat!)
As much of a techie as I am, I still miss those days at times. People actually had less distractions and more time to build meaningful relationships (minus the constant attachment to the phone).
I recently was out to dinner and noticed a couple at a table nearby. The entire time the two of them were on their phones. Prior to this smartphone era, that would not have been the case. There was minimal dialogue between them because they were both distracted by their phones. Prior to smartphones, people went on dates or met up with friends and actually talked!
Remember the days when people actually ate a meal as soon as it was served and didn't have to share the photos of it with the world?!? Now, not only do we know exactly when our friends eat, but we know what they eat and where they are eating it!
Before smart phones, connectivity was genuine. Not the "birthday reminders" you get on Facebook or the notifications in your news feed about your old 8th grade friend who you haven't seen in 20 years. People used to genuinely take the time to connect with each other. Their circle may have been smaller, but it was tighter and more connected.
Self reflection was an important part of life before the smartphone era. During downtimes (on a plane, in a car, or waiting in a long line), people had time to self reflect and think without distraction. Now, every idle moment is spent listening to music on our smartphones, watching videos on our phones, texting, or on social media.
This post is not to diminish the value of smartphones. After all, technology is wonderful and appreciated. Life was just different when we did not carry technology around in our back pocket everyday. Heck, if I did not have my smartphone, you would not be reading this Steemit post right now (because I created it on my smartphone)! So, smartphones are not bad, life is just different... Stay tuned for part 2...