Disconnect to Reconnect

I grew up in the 80s and 90s, so watching shows like Stranger Things in all its nostalgic glory, really makes me miss simpler times. I think back to when kids used to be out riding their bikes after school instead of sitting inside playing video games, or when we weren’t so glued to our cell phones.

Technology and social media have done a great job at connecting us with others from around the world, but it’s also disconnected us from having real human interaction and robbed us of some interpersonal skills. We are all guilty of sitting directly across from someone with our heads down browsing through our cell phones instead of having actual conversations.

Texting Can be Vexing  

Gone are the days of talking on the phone for hours. That has been replaced with endless streams of text messages. When it comes to dating, we’ve gotten to know people strictly through text messaging. It has become a comfortable shield we hide behind, which can block us from truly connecting with someone on a more personal level.

Guys have even relied solely on text messages to ask women out. It has become so commonplace that when a guy actually picks up the phone to call us, our first thought is, holy shit he must really be into me, look how much effort he’s putting in. Really?!

Texting also leaves the door open for misunderstandings, because they don’t capture a person’s tone of voice or a hint of sarcasm. And let’s be honest, a “lol” with a smiley face emoji doesn’t compare to hearing the sound of someone’s genuine laughter.

We Have Become Endlessly Accessible

Remember when we used to be able to leave our house and people couldn’t get in touch with us until after we got home and listened to our voicemail messages? There was such freedom in that. Yet, now we are expected to be available 24/7 and we have mini panic attacks if we forget our cell phones at home.  Even after we leave work, we’re still checking our emails.

We Need to Stop and Smell the Roses  

We’ve become so consumed with social media that we’ve documented every last aspect of our lives, instead of taking a step back to really enjoy the moment. Instead of basking in the beauty of nature on a hike in the woods, we are too busy making sure we’ve captured our best angle for our Instagram selfies. At concerts, we’re recording videos and taking pictures, instead of really feeling the music and vibing with the crowd.

How to Disengage From Technology  

In order to re-energize and reconnect with others, we need to make a conscious effort. We can start by designating a specific time each day to unplug. For example, a good time would be before bed when our brains need time to adjust to getting ready to sleep. So no more laying in bed in the dark browsing through Facebook. This gives us the opportunity to unwind and leads to more restful sleep. This strategy is backed by research published in the Proceeding of the National Academy of Sciences, which found that using electronic devices before bed can actually disrupt our sleep patterns.

We should also start engaging in activities that don’t involve technology, such as reading, yoga, or using adult coloring books (see my post about the therapeutic benefits of coloring here). While at work, we can even make an effort to walk over to talk to our coworkers instead of sending an email. It’s also a great idea to have a phone-free dinner policy, where no one can use their phones at the table. This allows us to talk about how our day was, joke around, or simply connect with someone.

We don’t need to give up technology completely, but disconnecting from time to time can have a positive impact on our lives and help us get back to what’s really important.

What efforts have you made to disconnect from technology?