A number of science fiction films have portrayed a future when a government or private enterprise has instilled the shackles of group think on society. And in this world where nearly everyone wears gray, a hero or small band of revolutionaries take the first steps to breaking the stranglehold. The script is one of Hollywood’s most recycled.
The reality of this occurring seems somewhat ludicrous especially in democratic societies emphasizing individualism and free speech. Yet I often wonder, if in a subtler way, we already reached that place depicted on screen.
In nearly all aspects of life where friends and strangers congregate, we see groups of people staring down at smartphone screens. In restaurants. In waiting rooms. In movie theater lines. People risk safely walking through parking lots to stare down at their phones. After people park their cars, they must check their email, texts, alerts and notifications as if they were CEOs who may have missed the beginning of a blockbuster deal within the last 15 minutes. If society actually worked as hard and efficiently as our interaction with smartphones suggests, the global economy would likely be far less volatile.
Frequently, the makers and marketers of these devices tell us these phones are for our own good, a gateway to greater communication and organization. (Sound like a familiar rationalization?) And yet I feel probably less connected with friends than ever before. Those who once called on birthdays now text or post on Facebook. Generally, people set up barriers to real conversation by hiding behind carefully written emails protecting them from genuine interaction. This in particular leads us to adopt silly phrases such as, “Thank you for reaching out.”
To the horror of those on the other end of the line, I’ve tried to break the cycle by taking my own small step: more often picking up the phone to place a call. I hear the uneasiness of those accepting my calls, knowing they must now respond in real time without the luxury of having 30 minutes to construct an email as if it were a thesis. The awkwardness is compounded when someone has repeatedly ignored my emails and must, again in real time, explain how their busy lives prevented them from taking less than 30 seconds to acknowledge one of my messages.
But my one-man revolution extends beyond the rudimentary concept of picking up a phone and using it to actually make a call. The second phase is resisting the allure of these devices after regular business hours and during weekends. Place your smartphone on the opposite side of the house during these times and the temptation is surreal. What if a client is reaching out? What if we’re falling behind by not reading the latest industry news? What if that notification is not another ESPN alert reminding us about the next College Game Day or the status of a controversial player?
I imagine the possibility of a day when one more app maker, one more over-the-top smartphone ad pushes us to the tipping point and people revolt, returning to days of more frequent face-to-face verbal communication. Let’s keep it real: We’re not all swamped CEOs. Half the time, we’re checking our phones not for important information but for something to pass the time. And disappointment too often stares back. No one is retweeting our play on words. Only your mom Liked the picture you posted. The person you really want to hear from didn’t write you back.
You are not alone in a world of grey and silver smartphones. Look up at the world passing you by. Use your words. Talk to someone whose voice you haven’t recently heard. If you’re going to follow Hollywood’s script, be the one who breaks the pattern not the mental zombie who follows it. Take your first steps. Your phone is not your best friend.