Shouts From Down Under

Fear. Stay away! Don't even THINK about being close to me...

Why do people hide behind their smart phones and other socially isolating gadgets, and hide behind odd behaviours?

Why is there a hue and cry about this? Is it justified? Will the next generation (kids now) really grow up not knowing how to get along? Are they really hiding at home behind computer screens, ignorant of basic life structure; things like going fishing, playing in the park, riding a bike, learning to dig a garden and plant seeds, having a pet, walking across town to visit Grandma, building a kite and taking it to the beach only to find it doesn't fly?

This is not a "knock the young people" session, ok?

But, will the next generation understand how to step back from a confrontation, how to make a phone call, how to argue and criticize constructively, how to relate to things that don't work, don't fit, don't cooperate, don't abide by the laws of the land or physics?

Are these youngsters growing up to a future where they'll have to be coached or study competencies about "How to contact someone and talk on the phone"? Or, how to manually open the front door, walk out into the sunshine (no the sky won't hurt you) go down the footpath to the front gate, open that, exit onto the sidewalk, turn either right or left, walk until you line up with your neighbors gate, open it, walk to their front door, raise one hand and hit the door repeatedly , and when they open it, smile, and....

Say "Hello"?



Last night, a friend (involved in training people) said he feels strongly that the young people growing up now are already showing signs of being unable, NOT unwilling, just UNABLE to do simple ordinary everyday tasks, such as make a phone call, talk to people meaningfully, how to CATCH A BUS.

So, the question I'm slowly digging out of my mind, and transferring here so that it might penetrate yours, is this.

Why are people hiding behind technology, in a social sense.

The answer, in a generalised way, to that, I feel, while many will deny and scoff, is just this.



FEAR. Fear of interaction, fear of others, fear of being vulnerable, fear of opening up, fear of lots of things and it's mostly to do with people. Other people.

People are scary, can hurt, can bite, can be unpredictably strange and confronting.

And the smart phone, social media, internet etc is like a shield, a pause button, a delay...safety. Consider this when you rush to condemn people for using technology to coexist with their fellow humans.

Overcome that fear and you'll overcome the social distancing problem.
Yes, smartphone and internet interaction may be the next Bubonic plague, but there is a time and place where it serves a good purpose.

Where would we have learned that there may be a social problem such as this, without the Internet, smartphones and iPads?



Sparky