Plug In and Plug Out

This is the year 2011.  Doesn’t it feel futuristic in that we’re now well into the 2nd millennium of the Roman calendar?  And yet, are we more advanced as a society than in times past?   I recall watching “The Jetsons” when I was a child and thought that the future would be so cool with neat gadgets that do virtually everything for us.  Who could forget the talking robot named Rosie doing household chores and making life easier for the family?  I couldn’t wait for cool phones and TVs that could let you see one another from distant places.  I was ready to embrace technology and run with its marvelous advances that would one day bring our society closer together.  Then I grew up.  I realized no one connects with one another anymore.  Mobile phones hit the scene and indeed made it far easier to get in touch with one another.  But with time these devices evolved and began offering real time email for home and office, video on demand, and countless social networking applications.  Sadly, the once sacred time spent at home with family and loved ones had fallen victim to incessant electronic tones advising of a phone call, new mail, Facebook updates and Twitter posts.  Add to that the invasion of portable game consoles, laptops, I-Pads, and MP3 players, and we easily find ourselves more wrapped up with what’s on an screen and less concerned for the things that really matter like the people around us.

This article sprang out of the vacation I took with my husband recently.  We visited the Caribbean island of St. Maarten two weeks ago and it was lovely. Once we left the airport at Charlotte, we shut our cell phones off and looked forward to an amazing 6 days of sun, drinks and our friend’s wedding.  We never turned our cell phones back on once we landed in St. Maarten because we would have been charged two legs, one arm and a neck for the roaming charges and steep data fees for being overseas.  Instead, we rented a local cell phone down there to call back home and check on the kids, being a sensible and economic alternative. We phoned the kids every night and spoke to them about their day.  Other than these phone calls to our children, we never used the phone.  As a result, my husband and I never had to stop a conversation amongst friends to answer an office email, drop a tweet about the fabulous weather, or check the score of a game (nor did our friends who were in the same situation as us).  We didn’t read other people’s comments on Facebook or catch up on what’s happening back home and it was great!  It was just a simple time for leisure, relaxation and fun.  Things changed once we landed back in Charlotte, however. Once the flight attendant gave the approval my husband had his phone turned on faster than a wink.  I was so disappointed.  I thought I had him adequately de-toxed from that cell, but I was mistaken.  Old habits are hard to break I guess.  I can understand though, I used to refuse to join Facebook, but 3 months ago I signed up and I got to confess-its’ addicting! I found myself browsing through Facebook to see what was new…Another check for technology.

 I recently went to the beach with my children and my niece.  It was a hot summer day and my kids were so delighted to have her join us and help out.  On the ride to the beach as well as the return ride home, she was texting, reading Facebook messages and corresponding with her friends via cell phone.  Meanwhile, my son was on his Nintendo DS and my daughter was just quiet in the car (I blame the heat because she’s never quiet).  It felt lonely in the car. I was in this vehicle with three other people whom I loved and no one was talking to one another. I tried to start conversations with my niece but she politely answered and then would go back to what she was doing.   I think talking to her friends via text or IM was more interesting to her than my stories might have been.  She’s 14 years old after all, so do you blame her?

Skip to Sunday afternoon in our home.  I was preparing dinner for the family when I noticed it was extremely quiet in the house.  Once again a similar situation (including the part about my daughter being quiet which as I said rarely happens).  My husband and I had just that day purchased for her an early birthday present:  a Nintendo DS of her own and she was thrilled to be playing it, as was my son on his DS unit on the other couch.   And there next to him was my husband with smart phone in hand reading news online through his phone.  It was sad…everyone was plugged in and plugged out if you ask me.  We were all in the house but no one was communicating with each other.  I blame myself of course as it was my idea to purchase these DS games for the kids.  Electronics have been blessings in so many ways but I wonder how much of a curse too?  Have I just become a cantankerous woman whose lost sight of all the advancements our world now has to offer?  Do I not see all the wonder and amazement of the future?  I think I just miss my family and friends.  Darn that Rosie the Robot, she made it look so easy in the future.  I guess that’s what I get for believing in a cartoon.