Is Happiness a Thing of the Past?

Blog 4
Do you remember the days when a friend would randomly knock on your family's door and ask for you to come out and play? If you are someone who wasn't able to experience these days before the use of text messaging then you would most likely question your friend as to why they didn't text or call you before coming over.

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Chapter 14 in the book "Alone Together" covers issues such as parent's addicted to their BlackBerry phones and teens who would like to receive more attention from their parents and peers. Cell phones today might as well be glued to our hands. The majority of people in America are so connected to technology that the thought of ever being away from their cell phone is painful. We have adapted the cell phone into our society. With a touch of a button, cell phones keep us connected to the rest of the world. Before the text addiction began things were a lot slower, and no one glanced at their phones as much as they do now. Checking a text message has become so addictive that people now expect immediate responses. A student who was interviewed in chapter 14 said that he believed the maximum time to respond back to a text should be no longer than 10 minutes.

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So why is it that people need so much attention today? I would say it's because we demand speed. We want everything quick and when its not we wonder why that is. People's patients my own included have really grow to be very thin. When texting first began, it was just a way to send a simple message similar to that of a pager. Now we break up and say I love you or even send important personal messages via text rather than a phone call. Why is it okay to tell someone that there loved one died through a text. Is sending a text no longer an impersonal way to say hello? In the new generation of "texters" it seems like texting is just as appropriate as an in person conversation.

Additionally, I find it sad in the book "Alone Together" to read stories of teens who are very sad that their parents won't even take a second out of their day to glance up at their child. One teen said that before the BlackBerry phone became popular his father who is a Dr. used to communicate more. His father would read paper books and would glance up to chat with his son. Now because he is so consumed with his cell phone he will do work as well as read on it and never once tries to break away and spend time with his son.

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If you are a person who clings to your cell phone and feels weak without it in your hand, do you think you have a cell phone addiction? Most people  may not even realize how often they glance at their phone. They also may not realize how important it is to put the phone away and acknowledge the people around you.

I have heard about contest were families and friends are now going out to dinner and placing their phones face up on the table. The first person to pick up their phone at dinner has to pay for everyone's meal. To me this is a great idea but at the same time is it not sad that we have to create rules now just to enjoy our dinner with friends? I am a lover of technology don't get me wrong, but just like anything it should have it's usage limits. I wonder now how far technology will take us. I also wonder in which direction will technology pull us. It's benefits were originally
speed and ease, but now its downside is a lack of communication in our society.

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What I have learned from the book "Alone Together" is that we all need to take a minute to reflect on our past, present and future and began to look at whether or not we are too consumed with staying connected to the internet. Maybe we are abusing the gift of technology, and we are forgetting the ones we love. I believe it would be a good idea to turn off the phone and to create at least one hour a day where you give yourself time to socialize face to face with someone or to read a good paperback book. We should not be alone together we need to fix this communications issue and not allow a text to be an appropriate way to tell someone you love them or you are leaving them. Additionally, we should keep in mind that technology may be around forever but the people you love will not.