Last night as I was out on my walk, I bumped into this young woman who was walking right ahead. As she turned around I realized why she was busy.
Out on a walk, she was taking selfies on her phone.
Today morning, while waiting at the local market to collect my supplies, I looked around and saw a common sight – everyone standing around was hooked on to just one thing – their phone screens. Shoulders hunched, eyes pinched to the screen, faces blank in that typical expressionless look that you get when you stare into your screen for too long.
I am sure you have done this many times, and I know I have done this too.
Image Credit: themobileindian
When was the last time when, instead of staring into your phone, you managed to make eye contact with a real human being? I remember the time when I saw a co-passenger on a flight reading a book and took the initiative to go up and talk. That led to some interesting conversation and a friendship that has lasted I don’t remember how many years now.
Do you remember ever looking across the room at a stranger, or seeing those quiet pair of eyes at the pub, or accidentally looking into someone’s eyes on your daily commute maybe, and feeling that surge of excitement or curiosity? I do. I met some very lovely people like this. Some became friends, some became more than friends, some did not materialize into anything.
Recently I came across this interesting new phrase that has been coined to share these exact sentiments, or lack thereof, that happens when you snub someone in favour of your phone! Phubbing, as this new word goes by, refers to the act when you ignore someone in the middle of a conversation to check your phone. I am guilty, I have definitely done it.
Couples are getting bored, relationships are something we are taking for granted, friends are being ignored, and cases of depression and loneliness are on the rise. Are we to blame, or our smartphones maybe? Or maybe, our smartphones are having the last laugh.
The point is – I miss that real friendship, even as we are making more and more friends in our virtual projected lives. Do you ever miss that?
Read Also: 5 Ways To Get Over Cell Phone Addiction
