Gadget Distraction

What’s happening here, now, isn’t as important to me as what could be happening anywhere else.

— Renny Gleeson

I watched Renny Gleeson in a brilliant, short Ted Talk this morning talk about the sneaky, anti-social behaviors we demonstrate with our smartphones. When I am sitting in a meeting, or at an event, and I can’t resist the urge to pull out my iPhone and check my email or peruse my Twitter updates, I am actually telling those around me that what is happening in the here and now is not as important as literally anything that could come across that tiny screen.

I am fond of the old bumper sticker that says, “I would rather be here, now.” It was designed in reaction to those classic bumper stickers such as “I would rather be sailing” or “I would rather be fishing.” The truth is that I really would rather be here, now. I prefer to embrace the moment and milk each experience for all that it is worth. And yet the iPhone becomes a seductive siren call to draw my attention away to somewhere else. Go figure.