No phone = better life!

Did you ever think about what it would be like to not have a cell phone!?  Would you feel more at peace or disconnected; would you miss it; would it drive to nuts to not have something to look at frequently?  For me, I think it would depend on the moment.  If I was waiting on an important email for phone call then I would be a little concerned about it, but honestly not having a phone would be quite peaceful.  In fact, I find it liberating when I run to the grocery store or to the clubhouse of my apartment complex and leave my phone at home.  So how have cell phones changed the way we interact today?

A few weeks ago one of my professors brought up how different cell phones make classrooms.  In the past, a professor would walk into a room and have to quiet a class down because of all the talking students were doing.  Now, some professors encourage and beg students to talk.  Many of us spend our time looking at our phone, texting, browsing facebook or checking email.  What the heck happened?  Since when was the cell phone more important than the person in front of us?  I completely disagree with the phenomena of cell phone take over, it’s not right.  I will always believe that the person in front of me, no matter who it is, is more important.  Speaking of conversation and the person in front of us, do you ever stop and talk to a random person anymore or do you spend so much time looking at your phone while walking that you sometimes run into something?

To answer this question I did a little test.  Think about someone, the coffee lady or your neighbor, who you see every day.  How often do you stop and talk to them?  For me, it was hardly ever.  Everyone uses the excuse that they are “soooo busy.”  No, I don’t care who you are, you can find five minutes to stop and talk to that person you see day in and day out.  I did.  My neighbor, someone I see every day sometimes two to four times a day, but I have never talked to I decided to.  I was out walking my dog when I saw him standing outside and decided to strike up a conversation.  We have both lived here since August, but never stopped and talked.  He is a very nice guy who I got to know in those five minutes we spent talking.  It was nice to not have to worry about my cell phone for once; again, another liberating moment in my life.  Now, every time I see him we say hi to each other!  What one five minute conversation can do.

So in going back to my question of have cell phone changed our interaction, what do you think?  Do you think that we interact more with people or less with people?  Do you find yourself talking to someone face to face more or less than over CMC?  On facebook the other day someone had a status up that said, “Smile, it confuses people.”  Well isn’t that the truth?  Somehow it became the norm that when we see another human being walking down the street we look down!  Why not just smile and say hi?  It’s time to put down the cell phone and get back to reality!