It's a sign of rampant insecurity and a genuine growing feeling of being disconnected with life and society in general. People are insecure and use "business on the phone" to project an aura of coolness. And being disconnected with society is a problem that compounds; the more disconnected you feel, the more you retract inwards to feel some connection to anything.
People have forgotten how to talk to people, so they chat on the phone at best, or at worst, text or email.
People are fearful of looking "uncool" out in public; how could they be so uncool as to not have someone who needs to talk to them immediately on a device. Therefore, people make busy work with the phones, in the hopes that all around them are impressed with their seemingly important goings-on on their phones.
Connecting with a phone prevents people from having to connect with random people on the street; that can be scary, and awkward, and different. You'll find most people just putt about on their phone to look too busy in a strange and unfamiliar setting with lots of people about...after all, god forbid the person next to them talk to them. They also wouldn't know how to approach the person next to them even if they wanted to; better to look busy than awkward.
I actually hate my phone. I have to have it for work. I use it as sparingly as possible.
If I sit next to you on a plane, I will actually smile at you. I will ask you how you're doing, followed by one or two conversation starter questions. If you don't want to talk, I'll get the hint by question number two and will shut up for the flight...I can look busy on my phone as well as you can. But you'd be surprised though, how many of these phone addicts are starved for real human attention. They'll gladly tell me their life story on a plane to help me pass a trip to Seattle. And when we get off, I'll say good-bye. And not 30 seconds later, they're back on their phones because no one new came along to talk to them.
It's so funny - rather than admit our vulnerabilities and desires to connect with people, we shy away like little teenagers who pretend like they're too cool for it all anyways. And these are adults I'm speaking about.
I can't figure out of society is alienating people as it spins out of control on this current course, or if people really want to be alienated out of some morbid desire for unhappiness and as a result, have created a society around them that enables this desire.
I do know this is not how we're supposed to live. This disconnection with people creates a pathological sense of apathy around the frailty of life and the precious gift of human connectivity...real, genuine, face-to-face connectivity. The kind that builds lasting friendships.
We're all in a lot of trouble if we don't start talking WITH each other, instead of AT each other. We need to INTERACT...not just post our shit on facebook so other people can post their shit.
This forum is just another tool used to undermine real connectivity. And I'm as guilty as the next guy, because I spend time on here doing what I preach against.
Physician, heal thyself!
