Technology doesn't replace face time

I find myself getting frustrated by technology.  More and more I notice that things are replacing people in our lives.  Yes, it is ironic to be posting this on my blog, I get that, but right now I don't find it to be amusing.  I find it to be frustrating.

When I am sitting at a table with someone, I cannot express how insulting and annoying it is to have them constantly check their cellular phone for texts, Facebook updates, e-mails or Twitters.  It gives the message that my company is not nearly stimulating enough for them, that I am boring or uninteresting, and that they would rather be elsewhere.  That may not be what they MEAN to tell me, but that is what their actions say.

I make a strong effort not to do that to anyone else.  If I have to check my phone for some reason when spending time with someone else, I try to let them know why and I only do so if it is important (waiting to hear that a family member has arrived safely somewhere or someone who is having a medical procedure is all right), but there are very few things that are important enough to pull my attention from the person who I have chosen to spend time with.

When did we start becoming so dependent upon being "connected" that we started losing touch with the reality of being connected with the people that we care about?  Electronic connections are a great tool, they allow us to make plans and to keep up on day to day happenings, but they were never meant to completely replace the personal touch.  E-mail has replaced letter writing.  Facebook has replaced having coffee together.  Twitter has replaced a quick phone call to chat about nothing important.

I think that it is time to slow the tide a bit and to bring back the personal touch.  When you're at dinner with your friends, or even sitting in the living room with your significant other while watching a DVD, just turn off your phone.  Take a few minutes and write a card or letter to someone that you care about.  Set up a time to just hang out with a friend without a laptop or tablet in sight.  Hang onto those personal moments, because they are becoming more and more rare and they need to be cherished.

Be real, be respectful, be human.  Put away the cellphone and really pay attention.  You never know what you'll learn about the people that you care about.  I CAN tell you that they will learn that they really mean something to you, and that is one of the best things that can ever be learned.