Is the Internet Making Us Unable to Connect?

I was having dinner with some friends last night when I noticed a couple out of the corner of my eye. They were sitting directly across from one another, not saying a word, just staring intently at their cell phone screens while their fingers raced across the keypads. They did not pray before their meal, and I never saw them talk to each other at all.

Is this the kind of interaction people have with one another now? Is this the next step in our evolution? Updating the world about what we’re doing right now and not actually doing anything. I wonder what that couple would do if their cell phones just disappeared. Would they sit there staring blankly at one another, unable to communicate without the help of their electronic devices?

In our programs, we teach youth social skills, like how to introduce themselves and how to really listen to others. Productive citizens are not developed online; they are built through everyday interactions with family, friends, teachers and others.

I challenge you to disconnect yourself from technology and reconnect with family and friends. Turn off the cell phone during dinner and spend time talking with one another. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll learn.