A BRAVE NEW WORLD
DOUG'S CONTINUING SMARTPHONE RANT . . .
A LANGUID BLUE GLOW illuminates their faces. They come to the dances - paying $5, $8 even $15 cover charges - only to sit with eyes locked hypnotically on that tiny screen.
Even as they sit shoulder-to-shoulder next to warm bodies made of flesh and blood, their preference lies in tapping into that cold, virtual world consisting of bits and pixels.
Technology's promise of connectivity gone horribly awry - that which had pledged to bring us all closer together now, ironically, isolates us. And even more insidious is the siren song that the smartphone affords for the addictive personality.
I'm certainly not one to tell others how to live their lives - I'd be the first to bristle at the thought of someone telling me how I should act or spend my leisure time - but might I suggest putting down the phone and engaging with the person seated right next to you. They (as well as the musicians on stage) would more than likely appreciate the courtesy of your "presence."
There's nothing more marginalizing for an entertainer than looking out at a room of folks hunched over their smartphones completely detached from the here-and-now. And I suspect many of your fellow dance attendees might feel the same way.
I won't belabor my point (as I ranted about smartphone addiction sufficiently in the May 13, 2017 newsletter article entitled "FOMO" click,) but might I suggest with all due respect that you turn off that device and interact face-to-face - you just might discover that the here-and-now is a great place to be!
Your thoughts? click
A LANGUID BLUE GLOW illuminates their faces. They come to the dances - paying $5, $8 even $15 cover charges - only to sit with eyes locked hypnotically on that tiny screen.
Even as they sit shoulder-to-shoulder next to warm bodies made of flesh and blood, their preference lies in tapping into that cold, virtual world consisting of bits and pixels.
Technology's promise of connectivity gone horribly awry - that which had pledged to bring us all closer together now, ironically, isolates us. And even more insidious is the siren song that the smartphone affords for the addictive personality.
I'm certainly not one to tell others how to live their lives - I'd be the first to bristle at the thought of someone telling me how I should act or spend my leisure time - but might I suggest putting down the phone and engaging with the person seated right next to you. They (as well as the musicians on stage) would more than likely appreciate the courtesy of your "presence."
There's nothing more marginalizing for an entertainer than looking out at a room of folks hunched over their smartphones completely detached from the here-and-now. And I suspect many of your fellow dance attendees might feel the same way.
I won't belabor my point (as I ranted about smartphone addiction sufficiently in the May 13, 2017 newsletter article entitled "FOMO" click,) but might I suggest with all due respect that you turn off that device and interact face-to-face - you just might discover that the here-and-now is a great place to be!
Your thoughts? click
Doug Koempel | Memory Brothers
Tuesday, April 9, 2019
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