Search
Close this search box.

Are smartphones ruining our relationships with each other?

No man’s land...
Share
Tweet
Share
Chat

At this moment in time, as I sit here in front of my laptop with my IPhone sitting beside me, there are no less than ten different ways to get in touch with me on either device. I am in fact, having two conversations with one person across three different messaging platforms. I am doing research for a project, looking at photographs on Facebook, drinking a green tea and waiting to meet a friend. I’ve checked my three email accounts 5 times in the last 20 minutes and if my phone beeps again, it is entirely likely I’m going to lose my mind.

“no man’s land”

Here’s the thing about multi tasking…no one can do it. You may think you can, but you can’t (says every study conducted on the subject by a credible neuroscientist ever). We are fairly decent at rapidly shifting our attention from one thing to the next, but where does that leave us?

Nowhere, that’s where. The vast majority of our time disappears into a sort of absent-minded “no man’s land” where nothing and no one gets our undivided attention.

It’s ironic that in this age of hyper-connectivity, we are increasingly disconnected from each other and our surroundings. So rarely, are we ever in one place, with one person, sharing in the full experience of the present moment. So rarely do we stop to notice the sounds of the sidewalk or the peculiarities of strangers passing by . What are we missing out on when we focus all our energy on never missing out?

On the way to work, on the buses, trams and trains; we travel alone, together. With eyes glued to glowing screens we hardly notice each other. We don’t exchange words, or smiles, or passing glances—not because we don’t want to, but because our attention is elsewhere. After a long day’s work we sit down at the bar, or table, or on the couch with friends, family, or lovers, but conversations are punctuated by pings and beeps. What did you miss when you were posting on Facebook about what you were doing instead of just doing it? Who haven’t you met today because you’ve been looking down, instead of around? Are our smartphones really worth the trade off?

Share
Tweet
Share
Chat

Did we miss something? Let us know: [email protected]

Want to be the first to receive all the latest news stories, what’s on and events from the heart of Manchester? Sign up here.

Manchester is a successful city, but many people suffer. I Love Manchester helps raise awareness and funds to help improve the lives and prospects of people across Greater Manchester – and we can’t do it without your help. So please support us with what you can so we can continue to spread the love. Thank you in advance!

Support us

£
Support now wdgk loader image

Got a story worth sharing?

What’s the story? We are all ears when it comes to positive news and inspiring stories. You can send story ideas to [email protected]

An email you’ll love. Subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest news stories delivered direct to your inbox.

Search
Close this search box.