As I walk around the city I live and work in, I have become more and more concerned and worried about cell phone and internet addiction. It bothers me as a counselor and a human being that I am watching people walking with phones in their hands, interacting with an object. They are not paying attention to what is around them, the people they are with or even traffic. Their faces are down as they play with their phones. I feel that they are losing opportunities to smell the air, look at the blossoms, think random thoughts and or talk with the friends and family members they may be with.
I watch parents under involved with their children now that they have their own toy to play with. I have seen and heard children ask a question and not get an answer, so they ask again and again until they are whining or crying and then they get negative attention for their behaviors. This is also missed opportunities to share the day and what is around them. Being curious about what the children are feeling and what they are thinking about is key to understanding how these little human beings operate.
I am not saying that you have to spend every single second with the people with you, I am just concerned on what is going on around me. I have been in restaurants where someone is on the phone, talking to some one else while a person or people are waiting for them to finish. That to me is rude.
So technology is here to stay and there are so many great uses of these phones and computers. All I am recommending is that you take time every day and disengage with the gadgets and engage with yourself and others. That you limit how much time you are on the computer and how much time your children are playing on their gadgets. Children do not need to be entertained every minute nor do adults.
Please be more mindful of your actions. Take time to smell the roses.
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