Lately
I have been attending a men’s Bible study.
At the end of the study, a few men brought up various concerns that they
had in their lives. One gentleman said
that he was being convicted about the amount of time that he spent in Facebook
on his smart phone. I thought at the
time, I too felt convicted of the same thing.
I chose at that moment though not to say anything, but to listen instead. It made me think of how our society was so
rapidly changing.
Last
night my wife asked me to read an article that she had run across. It spoke about the fact that some of us spend
an inordinate amount of time with our smart phones throughout the day. So much so, that we do not socialize much
with those around us. The article went
on to say that scientists found that when we interact socially (face to face) with
others, that it activates certain parts of our brain that are vital for our growth
and well being. But, on the other hand
when we spend an inordinate amount of time on our computers and smart phones,
that is, with our social networks, those parts of our brain they found are not
stimulated.
That
article brought back a memory for me of a similar situation that I experienced not
so long ago. One night our family went
out to a local pizza establishment. We
do this when our budget allows and when we can get together with family and
friends. This particular night I noticed
a young high school age couple entering the pizza establishment and sitting
down in a booth not far from our table.
I was happy for them and I had hoped that they would enjoy their time
together. They both looked anxious and a
little nervous. I remembered when I was
that age and how nervous I was in going out on a date. My thoughts began to wonder to that time in
my life. I had thought all week about my special night and what I would say and how I would say it. I wondered if my date would like the place
that I chose, as well as the food that we would eat. My mind raced up until the time that I picked
her up. I remembered the nervous moments
when seated across from her before the meal came. “What can I talk about that might interest
her?”
Now
looking back, those were monumental moments that helped me grow
in to the person
I am today.
They were learning times in
how to socialize and relate to another’s life, that is, the person sitting
across the table from me.
I would not
trade those days for nothing. It was during those times that helped form in me
the person I am today.
So,
what happened to this young couple that was placed near our family? When seated, they immediately got out their
smart phones and started to communicate with their online friends while totally
ignoring the person across from them. At
that moment, the dad in me wanted to go over to their table and tell them that
they were missing out on a very special time in their lives, and that it was so
important that they spend this valuable time experiencing each other’s presence
by talking one to the other. I sadly
turned away and looked at my wife who knew what I was thinking. She looked at me with a smile and without a
breath, began talking to me and our children about the day’s events. My heart was once again restored, but that
moment left me concerned for this new generation that have this, so called, advanced form of
communication that keeps them from talking with each other. We are rapidly living in society that stands
in waiting lines, all the while linking with others on smart phones. These are
people that they may never meet, or for that matter, individuals who are robbing them of that oh so valuable
time with those around them.
We as a generation are missing out on discovering new friendships; friendships that could have been with the person standing in line next to us.
