Constant connectivity is the bane of our existence. It is like an addiction and it is eating away at our soul. It doesn't really matter who we are with, the pavlovian response to the "beep" is constant: grab the device and get a fix. The "beep" is not some kind of emergency call, but a notification from one of the countless apps that we need to check in, that there is something worth looking at. Of course, most of the times it is just noise and yet we seem incapable of stopping: we have become addicts.
We can't seem to get away from the luxury we think the "beep" provides: we are in touch with the world, we are smarter and we miss nothing. Sadly none of this is really true. Constant connectivity is a mirage - it gives you a sense of comfort, only to disappoint you and those close to you for what you have become.
I recently did two things which helped me down the path of recovery from this addiction:
I no longer take my phone to the restaurant. When I am with my family or friends, I am with them. I have accepted that the world can live without my immediate response and that I will no longer be ruled by the "beep". I have also decided that being social is first and foremost being social with the people close to me.
I turn my phone off when in meetings. My only objective in any meeting is to focus and listen to the people that are meeting with me. Why else would either of us be there? I have found that the simply act of turning the phone off, liberates me from the "beep" and helps me focus and respect the people that I am with.
These two simple things have helped me focus and be a better listener, friend and father.
Note:
Af few years ago I read an article from Swiss researcher Rolf Dobelli who suggested that our infatuation with news was wasting our lives. The article entitled "Avoid News" is worth reading in that it directly addresses the issue of where our time is best spent, what is important in life, etc….Give it a try: (http://dobelli.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Avoid_News_Part1_TEXT.pdf).
* This post was first published on LinkedIn