Just about everyone carries a smart phone now.And even if you don’t chances are you have a method of connecting with people quickly at your home. With the enormous uptick in the use of social media and instant message methods, there is virtually no one who can’t be reached. 
My wife and I were out to dinner recently and noticed something startling. We were surrounded by couples at tables having a wonderful time, but they all had something in common. They were all talking to one another without looking up from their phones. There was even a couple that appeared to be dating that spent more time looking down at their phones scrolling through some sort of content than they did looking at each other. How did this happen? When did we allow our technology devices prevent us from talking to one another face to face? When did our phones become our only method of connection?
It appears to as if we are so overly connected that we’re completely disconnected from relationships. When a husband and wife can’t even talk to each other without a device in their hands, we’ve reached a major problem. We have a rule in our house that I believe is very simple – When someone is talking to you, you look at them. It’s not rocket science. It’s respect.
Loneliness is one of the most dangerous effects of our over-connected world. We’re so connected that we’ve lost touch of the real world. Tomorrow we move into the season of Lent for Christians around the world. It’s a time when many people reflect on giving something up to remind them of the life Jesus gave up for them. Do you think that for the next 40 days you could make a serious attempt to put down your mobile device when you’re not using it? Can you turn it off at night? Would you be willing to look at people when you talk to them?
It’s time to disconnect from our technology so that we can reconnect with the people around us.
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