LOSING OUR HUMANITY

I see our humanity slipping further away each day. In the past year I’ve learned how big of an issue mobile phone addiction has become. I cycle to the office as much as I can during the warmer months and this summer I’ve almost been hit by distracted drivers on the average of twice a week. More often than not the driver using their mobile phone. After a flurry of curse words and/or a magnificent one finger salute, I always ask myself was that Facebook message or text was worth ending or drastically altering a human life? Many of these close calls have happened while crossing the street in crosswalks. I’ve learned not to cross, even if I have the walk light, until I lock eyes with a driver who is making a right turn (on a red light) or left turn (on a green light) to make sure they notice me.

Distracted driving is just one facet of our society’s growing mobile phone addiction but I’m afraid it goes far deeper than this. All you need to do is look around in any public place to see how widespread the reliance on this technology has gotten. Mobile phones are the new social crutch. Entire tables of people in restaurants will have their heads buried in their devices instead of enjoying the company of the people they’re with. While waiting for public transit or an elevator people quickly whip out their phones instead of having to risk engaging in conversation. It might sound strange but what saddens me the most is to see people walking their dogs or out with their children at the end of the day not paying one bit of attention to them because they’re hypnotized by their phones. I think about the dog who has probably been alone waiting for them all day while they were at work or that very short window of time that their child will be this young. What are we missing?

Sci-Fi authors have warned us about the dangers of Artificial Intelligence and the, “rise of the machines.” What many don’t realize is, this rise of the machines is well underway and our widespread distraction from the physical world is proof the machines are winning. A huge wake up call for me was the moment I realized that, instead of thinking critically, I was beginning to think in internet search terms. There's no denying that mobile phones have become an extension of us.

The important question is how do we find balance and prevent technology from stealing our humanity? I feel that we need to consciously facilitate authentic and creative human interaction. We have to have the courage to be the one to strike up a conversation with a stranger. We can do better than, “How are you today?” or “How was your weekend?” We can infuse humor and wit into everyday life, really anything outside of the normal, robotic, responses that we’ve been programmed to utter throughout the years. Have you noticed that no one tells jokes anymore? Tell a joke, play a prank, be interesting for God’s sake. Unfortunately, the reality is we must compete with things like Facebook, Snapchat, and Pokemon for people's attention to prove that human interaction is enriching enough to be worth saving.

I’ve heard about many people who’ve had near death experiences say that as our souls are transitioning to whatever is next a life review flashes before their eyes that is comprised of all the memories of their lifetime. During my life review I want to see so much more than Facebook status updates, witty memes, and the temporary rush of finding a rare Pikachu. I want to remember a deep conversation I had with my wife while walking on the powdery sand of a beautiful beach in St. Thomas, sharing an authentic laugh with a cashier who I may never see again, holding the door for a stranger and recognizing from their micro-expression that the gesture was noticed and appreciated.

Each of our lives are comprised of a finite block of time and the countdown clock begins the very moment we take our first breath.

Once a second ticks off of our countdown clock it’s gone forever. Yes, there is time for technology, it can greatly enhance our lives if we make it work for us instead of vice versa. Make the most of each of your seconds, be present, more than ever the world needs your authenticity. Now, take a deep breath and for a moment focus on nothing but your breathing. It feels good doesn’t it? This simple exercise instantaneously renews your connection to your soul. Life is all about finding our balancing point and once we do, life gets easier, and our path forward becomes crystal clear.

(gifs sourced from Giphy.com)

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Eric Vance Walton is an acclaimed American poet, novelist, and blogger. Eric won a 2005 Thurber Treat Prize for his fable The Heiress and the Pea. Eric’s poetry, essays, and short stories have been published widely in literary journals, magazines, and he has authored eight books.

To follow his unfolding story please visit his website here to sign up for his author newsletter.