We have all heard the lecture to turn off phones and such devices, whether during class or church or a meeting or a concert or a flight. Then some people don’t do it, and their phone rings. Some people honestly forget to turn it off or could swear they did. Others don’t care and will not be torn away from their beloved device, respect be damned.
Many of us then jump to the same conclusion that says that no one is so important that they can’t live without the phone or texting for an hour or so, which is true. This past summer, I decided not to contract for phone/texting service during a trip to Europe. I lived for 18 days that way, and the world continued to turn while I was gone, and I missed nothing of digital importance while away.
But I would suggest there is a different, more deeply seated issue with people when it comes to their digital leashes. It’s not about a person actually being “important.” Rather, I believe that the need to be needed is stronger than ever in society. No matter if extroverted or introverted, the possibility of constant companionship with others, even if one is physically alone, is compelling and hard to let go of (for some of us). Never mind if you’re sending inane messages such as “LOL” or “LMAO” or “:).” Getting together with others, even if digitally, is not only fun but also integral to being human. I have blogged before about the social elements of teaching and of eating. The only element we lack in all this digital contact is a sense of propriety and respect for when not to use it, which is never excused just because someone is addicted to the device.
But I believe the satisfaction of getting something done enters into this constant-contact mentality. It feels good to answer someone quickly and move on to the next to-do item. And if you can answer many people in rapid succession, you help your world turn a little faster and more efficiently. And there are perfect times to get things like that done, such as on the subway or while waiting for lunch to arrive or on a flight or yes, during the sermon or yes, in the restroom. It feels good to me to eliminate all those little numbered badges on my iPhone screen in Words With Friends, Facebook, Email, and App Store updates. It looks like a clean slate of sorts, an empty to-do list. And I suppose it feels good to cuss someone out while hiding behind Facebook. I wouldn’t know that firsthand, but I have been on the receiving end of such a rant. I know that the other person must have felt better, no matter that he was wrong in his assumptions and his delivery or that he would socio-pathologically move on to another victim within the hour.
In our society where the obsessive/compulsive is worse than ever AND laziness is more profound than ever, with little in between, it makes sense that the slackers use their phone more to have fun, and the O/C use theirs to avoid more important tasks than answering a text or Facebooking a recipe. Or in my case, to avoid practicing.