Posts tagged "video games"

Have You Been Techno-tized?

February 13, 2010

If you ever…

  • Interrupt a real-life conversation to take a (non-urgent) call
  • Half-way participate in conversations while gazing at a screen
  • Talk on a cell phone while paying for groceries
  • Talk on the phone while using the restroom
  • Fixate on a video/computer game (Solitaire, anyone?)
  • Zone out and mindlessly eat in front of the television, then pullyourself off the couch and wonder where the hours (and food!) went…

chances are, you’ve been techno-tized.

There’s something about the power of the almighty screen that shifts our minds into neutral. We suddenly become preoccupied and passive, falling into a trance where the screen dominates our attention while the world – and people – around us fade away.

If you’ve ever tried to talk to a child watching television, you understand this phenomenon well. But adults are just as guilty. We’ve all seen two people in a restaurant, ignoring each other but talking on cell phones as they eat.

To be fair, technology has come so far, so fast, that we can’t help but be fascinated. Have you seen computer graphics these days? And the animation in movies… wow!

But the point is this: technology is changing our culture – and it’s doing so at a shockingly fast pace. It takes us into uncharted social territory, where there are no rules (yet). And even if there were rules, they too would change by next year, maybe sooner.

So this leaves us all wondering: how do we behave? Where should we draw the line? What can we assume about what’s acceptable – and what’s not?

Here’s the bottom line: No matter how fascinating technology gets, do we really want to live in a world where people are more loyal to their entertainment, gadgets and games – than to other people?

Technology is as wonderful as its positive impact on our lives. The moment is starts drawing power from your relationships and real-world life, it’s probably time to…

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Posted by Margaret Page in Everyday Etiquette and tagged , , ,