There's been much talk of late about manners, technology and society. Seems the more technology brings us closer together, the further it takes us from being a civilized society.
No longer does one wait by the phone, or rush to the mailbox for an anticipated call or letter. Thanks to email, online chat and the social networks, we can now reach out to one another instantly.
But technology is also making our society -- well, to be blunt -- rude.
This past weekend for example, I decided to enjoy the summer-like sun by taking a hike in my local park trail. I always have my iPhone with me, and because of the amazingly warm wonderful weather, decided to take some pictures of Mother Nature in one of her good moods.
Being all alone, I had no one to hold my iPhone. So, I'd find a nice picnic table or park bench to rest my phone on, and using one of my self-photo timer apps to snap pics with me in them.
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| Picnic table Many picnic tables in this area have suffered burns from portable barbecues, but this one has been modified to incorporate a heatproof barbecue stand. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
I was sitting at one of these picnic tables, viewing some of the shots I snagged, when a couple came over and sat down next to me.
Odd, and awkward I thought -- usually people don't venture up to strangers like they used too. And if they do, it is only polite to ask if you can join them.
Then this couple -- not kids, probably married and in their 40's -- began setting up a picnic lunch. The man began fiddeling with his picnic basket, and the woman unfurled a plastic red and white checkered table cloth over the whole table.
The table cloth actually covered part of me, and my iPhone, which prompted the woman to make her first and only contact with me -- "sorry" she said. Without a bat of an eyelash, or even the slightest hint of concern or interest in me, she adjusted the table cloth to cover the table, and leave me a small corner of space.
iDevices Make for an iSociety of Me's?
How rude!
I know, I don't own the picnic table, it isn't mine. But I was sitting there, obviously using it, the proper thing to do is to politely ask if you can join someone, and then ask if they can set up their picnic blanket. Not simply toss it over anyone and everyone already present, without a care in the world.
Not to slam one of my heros, but maybe Steve Jobs created a society of monsters by creating the iSociety we live in, unintentionally of course, when he first announced the iPod, the iPhone and then the iPad?
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| Steve Jobs shows off the white iPhone 4 at the 2010 Worldwide Developers Conference Español: Presentación del iPhone 4 por Steve Jobs en la Worldwide Developers Conference del año 2010 (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
We spend so much time with our mobile devices interacting with those we know and care about, that when face-to-face communications with real people in the real world occurs, we just don't know how to deal.
But there is more to it than that. Because we spend so much time interacting within our iSociety, we have lost the one thing which separates us from the animals.
That one thing makes or breaks social structures, and can make or break your day.
It's a sense of empathy for those around us, and a sense of self awareness within that group of others around us.
Essentially, we've stopped caring about those around us that we don't know, and when others demonstrate this lack of caring towards us, we feel anger and resentment.
We've truly become an iSociety, where the only people that matter are me, myself and I.
How sad. For you and for me.
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