Tech Smart, Life Poor: Connecting Back to Our Humanity
We’re all communicating at every second of every day —with very little active participation. It is CONSTANT. And the younger we are, the more “tech smart” we are likely to be, growing up in the age of smartphones, social media, and the constant pushing of data in everything we do. Think I’m exaggerating? Pampers just put a sensor on their diapers! Barbie and Hot Wheels are going digital. It is truly ingrained in our lives, to a degree that worries me deeply.
Kacy rolled over, bleary-eyed, grabbing her phone and wincing at the bright screen. Two Twitter alerts, 3 article notifications, 2 breaking news messages from CNN, a bunch of likes on Instagram and a reminder from her Facebook running group that they would still be meeting up despite a drizzly 60℉ day. She had 15 emails, most of them spam, and the summary of her night’s sleep on her Health app. She connected by Bluetooth to her espresso machine and got her double Americano rolling. Bathroom, shower, and she had already been reminded about the dentist appointment, dog groomer, and the jazz class coming up in the next 48 hours. And she still hadn’t even put on her slippers.
The Cost of a Tech Smart Life
The digital age carries so much promise. It is supposed to make our lives a lot easier, although if you ask me, the “ease” it creates is debatable. Stuff works until it suddenly doesn’t, and fixing it can get overwhelming. And while tech may be saving you money and a little time, it is costing you too. Quality time. Time with the people you care about, a good book, a good walk outside. Shiny new products can do a lot for you but they cannot give you back those moments in your life that matter most.
There is a divide that grows between generations with every passing year because of the World Wide Web and its growing applications. Folks old enough to have trouble grasping these techie advances are pushed out of jobs and have trouble speaking to people younger than them. It’s all very “OK, Boomer.” To me, the internet is like the sky. So many planes are being sent up, sent flying . . . and killing birds. Killing and eradicating the organic stuff. The natural stuff. The stuff you will miss while you are staring into an ever-shrinking screen.
We all do it, you know. We hide behind our screens. I want you to take a hard look at an average day and I want you to count out how many *personal* connections you make. Not bots, not emails, not registering for a webinar or signing up for a class. Communicating with real people. How many are there? 5? 3? None?
If you think this does not have an impact on your existence, I have a bridge I’d like to sell you. The fact is, it has EVERYTHING to do with the connections you feel are missing in your life. It begins with a broken internal dialogue, and then never gets resolved, because we no longer understand how to reach out to each other. Tech is GREAT. Its applications can solve world hunger and track weather patterns . . . but it cannot make you feel whole again when things are broken.
Connection is the Key
As a professional coach, helping out dozens of corporate clients, I can tell you that things fall apart in the same manner at the office. When people do not connect and cannot hear each other clearly, they become dismissive. They become abusive. Emotions run high and resolving an issue suddenly becomes alarmingly dramatic when it should be simple. Or, the opposite happens—a workaholic disregards their lousy home life, which suffers in response. A tired spouse goes from talking to his wife to calling her and finally to texting; with a single missed comma, he’s suddenly in the doghouse over a total misunderstanding. These disconnects can end relationships.
The professional is the personal, and vice versa, because it all comes down to How. We. Connect.
You could just accept the dysfunction and continue perpetuating it, building your online world up as you understand the real one less and less. That’s an option that is always available to you. But in my professional coaching experience, as someone who thrives on connecting and teaching others the significant advantages of personal connections, I would caution strongly against it.
Connecting brings results. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen lasting improvements in this arena for clients, both in their work and in their lives.
I want to help you learn to communicate and eliminate these troublesome digital barriers — you’d be surprised how heavily they hinder you and your voice. Immediate results will follow and the problems you are dealing with will improve. Give me a call or drop me a line—because I want to have a conversation, a REAL one, with YOU. I can help to show you that these obstacles are temporary and your goals are achievable! No need to hide behind that screen anymore.
