Are You Socially Present?

When was the last time you checked your cell phone? 

5 hours ago?

5 minutes ago?

5 seconds ago?

Right this very second?

        Last night, I was at dinner with a few friends. We were all laughing and having a good time. I looked over at one of my friends and realized that this person was on their phone. They weren't laughing, and maybe they were having a good time, but I will never know. They were totally missing out on our conversation, our laughter, and our company because they were so absorbed in their phone.

     Now don't get me wrong, I'm not pointing fingers. I've been guilty of this too. I can't count how many times I have been texting/tweeting/messaging while someone else was talking to me. This is something I think most people struggle with; a constant need to be connected to the outside world. In fact, John Fetto reports a study by Experian Marketing Services who report the average American spends about 58 minutes on their phone a day. That means we donate an entire HOUR of our day to our cell phones. What are we missing here?  What are we truly giving up when we miss out on this hour? What kind of message are we sending to the people we are with? Are they really that uninteresting? Are we really sitting at the table eating dinner with people, or is it just our body there? Our mind is obviously not there, it is wherever our phone is. I bet if I asked my friend what we talked about last night, she would have no idea.

      Here's the challenge. Spend a day, or maybe just one meal without your phone. If you can't part with your phone, then just leave it in your pocket, perhaps on silent and don't look at it. Really focus on connecting with those around you and be socially present. Realize what is happening around you and spend some time thinking about what you would have missed if you were simply looking at your phone instead. Would you have missed out on that joke someone just told? Would you have made a connection with someone that you perhaps used to dislike? Would you have gazed into your true love's eyes and instantly fallen madly and deeply in love?

      Okay, I know, I'm getting carried away. But the point here is this: If you are constantly attached to your phone, you may be present, but are you socially present? And if you're not, what are you REALLY missing out on? 

 Source

Fetto, John. "Americans Spend 58 Minutes a Day on Their Smartphones | Marketing Forward." Marketing Forward RSS. Experian Marketing Services, 28 May 2013. Web. 26 Sept. 2014.

To Read the Article Click Here: Cell Phone Use Statistics