Can life come from disconnecting?

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Any time I go out in public I see people (adults and kids) focused on their smart phone screen. It could be at a restaurant or a store. It’s always interesting to see people sitting directly across from each other not connecting with each other because they are focused on a screen. (I’m sure it happens at home, too.)
Digital connection is amazing. The internet’s theme song should be “It’s a small world,” and creating a small world has many perks. Those perks are so engaging that many people tend to disengage with the world around them.
Spending time in Colorado, I haven’t seen as much “screen time”. People hang out in restaurants and lodges, taking in the sights and connecting with the people. Last night, I  saw two people staring at their phones, but then I heard their conversation. They were comparing the pictures they had taken during the day: discussing the lighting, angles, and their experiences throughout the day.
All in all, people were disconnecting from technology (or at least technology that keeps them from experiencing community) in order to connect with the world in which they live.

There might be something to that.

How would life look different if we could find a way to disconnect (or unplug) in order to connect with life or experiences?
Research states that excessive use of cell phones and tablets don’t give the brain proper time to rest, but I’ve also seen it become a barrier to connecting face-to-face.
  • How would life look different if we unplugged at a certain time every night?
  • How would life look different if we chose to use that time in a different way: building community, reading a book, learning a new skill, etc.
I’m not suggesting people should go “off the grid.” All I’m suggesting is maybe there is life beyond the screen, and that life may require us to disconnect in order to truly connect.

So who is up for a disconnect?

[I would love to hear your comments and thoughts about this post. Use the comment section below or click here to tell your story.]

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