I recently attended a comedy show and the comedian asked that people put their phones away and appreciate the “experience.” I laughed but realized that many people are missing out on what’s happening around them. I saw a video on Facebook of one of my friends on stage with one of my favorite bands. I thought, “You are on stage with 30 Seconds to Mars – on your phone?” How can you appreciate an experience like that when you are worried if your phone is picking it up?  Sure, you may want to document it for proof to show your friends but now you missed out on the experience. There are dozens of YouTube videos of people falling or running into things because they are so caught up in texting while walking and not watching where they are going. Or worse yet, texting while driving – apparently we need to tell people that it isn’t safe. People are so worried about staying connected that they risk their lives.

Maybe I feel this way because I grew up in a non-technology era. I remember my friend telling me the Beatles wrote the song “Hey Jude” about his sister, Judy, who was friends with the band.  Even though I knew he was lying, we couldn’t just Google it to prove he was making it up. In fact, there really wasn’t any way of finding out if his story was true. Even the local library would have a hard time providing proof. But now, a quick Google search tells me the song was written for John Lennon’s son. I’m not even a Beatles fan, but the point I’m trying to make is that fact finding missions are almost too easy now.

Don’t get me wrong. I love technology! I make a living on my computer and love learning something new every day. But I think we should all ignore technology once in a while. Even when it’s working really well, technology is no substitute for friends, family, and the other things we love. It doesn’t matter if you make your living with computers (as I do), make a point of getting away from them once in a while. You’ll find that you’ll appreciate them a lot more when you come back, not to mention having a few memories not documented on your phone!