Saturday, July 20, 2013

The Smart Phone - Catnip for Humans

This post isn't about anything you don't already know - smart phones are catnip for humans.

Every weekday morning I cross a busy four lane street near my home. No one stops for me because they don't see me. Eyes staring ahead to another day of this and that. One morning a young woman was so intent on her phone that I, the other cars, and the beautiful sky didn't exist. She could have killed me and not noticed.

What is it about smart phones that is addictive? Are humans so in need of interaction with someone far off that they can't see anyone at close range?

I don't have a smart phone. I don't even have an old fashioned cell phone. I do admit to an unhealthy relationship with email. I'm working to break that habit.

Even more than the distracted motorist, it is difficult for me to understand the person who takes the time to walk in one of the most beautiful parks in our city and then miss all the beauty because a text or tweet or a connection to some Internet scandal pulls them away from the here and now. You've seen it - head down, eyes focused, fingers typing while the birds sing, the water cascades, and the trees whisper.

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