Few things are more invasive in all of our lives today than the electronic tethers and ties that are continually connecting us to the world. Are we really in need of connection?

Notice all the time that you are spending checking social media, keeping your phone handy, just in case………….someone calls, texts, or sends you a social media message on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.  It seems to me that this type of focus is not doing anyone any good. The world’s electronic tentacles attach strongly and make us dependent on a small world contained within our phones. There is a giant world in front of you that might be missed if you are focused only on the action in the palm of your hand.

I am old enough to remember what life was like before we had this technology.  Your phone was at home, and when you left, people didn’t have to talk with you until you got to work or wherever you were going.  You could play a round of golf or go for a walk without any way to communicate with the outside world. We all survived just fine, and so did the world.   Now, if you can’t answer a text message fast enough, people feel slighted and upset with you. There is a viral video about breaking the electronic.

connection and the opportunities for real socialization that we are all missing because of our inability to stop staring at our phone and start looking to interact with other people. (see video here) I have personally made it my mission to be more aware of what is going on in my reality and my experiences.  I have even enforced this rule on people I have conversations with.  Nobody can check a text or send a message through the conversation, and answering your phone is definitely not tolerated.  I do this by simply pointing out that I value the conversation and the experience of talking more than a text message from someone else.

What is going to happen if the message isn’t returned instantly? Most times, the answer is absolutely nothing, and the conversations I have had have become more interesting and in the moment.  By doing this, I have been able to know people better and stay in the moment of the conversation. There is no need to multitask and not give each person in your life your attention when you have the opportunity to do so. Try focusing on what is real in your life, the people who you are spending time with rather than worrying about what is happening somewhere else, with someone else, and life will be more enjoyable.

I do this by simply pointing out that I value the conversation and the experience of talking more than a text message from someone else. What is going to happen if the message isn’t returned instantly? Most times, the answer is absolutely nothing, and the conversations I have had have become more interesting and in the moment.  By doing this, I have been able to know people better and stay in the moment of the conversation. There is no need to multitask and not give each person in your life your attention when you have the opportunity to do so. Try focusing on what is real in your life, the people who you are spending time with rather than worrying about what is happening somewhere else, with someone else, and life will be more enjoyable.

There is no need to multitask and not give each person in your life your attention when you have the opportunity to do so. Try focusing on what is real in your life, the people who you are spending time with rather than worrying about what is happening somewhere else, with someone else, and life will be more enjoyable.

Many people today have a hard time relating to people directly that they stand or sit in a group together and text to other people or, worse yet, to each other.  Putting the phones down, getting your head out of the electronic world, and looking into other people’s reality might be the best thing that you can do to improve your experience of life. Give yourself a chance actually to have a conversation with your friend. Listen, respond, and react to real.

Give yourself a chance actually to have a conversation with your friend. Listen, respond, and react to real-life social cues that are right in front of you. Please leave your phone in your pocket and interact with life and the situations that it presents. You might find something that has been missing, and you will most likely find enjoyment in life that you have never known.

I know that in my case, I have definitely benefited from breaking the electronic tether as often as possible.  Give it a shot and see what type of communication comes into your life and how much more significant it is. This is an old school song about what it was like to call someone you wanted to talk to. It is an old experience but a good one.