Do you remember the time before the internet? People talked with each other in person instead of texting. They went out instead of staying inside watching Netflix. They meet each other in person instead of on a dating app. Those were wonderful times…
Now, we must wait for the Internet to go down so that we can interact with one another and we call those several hours bonding and intimacy. Otherwise, it is only Netflix and scrolling through social media.
Before the Internet took over, we had pauses and breaks to talk with each other, laugh, catch up, recharge, reconnect, and build intimacy. The television back then had many commercial that we used to talk with each other. Also, the majority of the TV shows ended by 10 p.m. and we went to bed undistracted and we had a good night’s sleep.
Now, with the availability of internet 24/7, we can watch any TV show or any movie anytime we want. We stay awake the whole night binge-watching our favorite shows and then having trouble waking up in the morning and be unfocused at work.
There is an enormous amount of applications available on our devices that distract us from really living our life. We became so bounded to our phones that we started ignoring our friends, family, spouses, and even ourselves.
Moreover, there are many theories on why the fertility rate in America is lower now than ever. Some say it is because of long-term birth control. Others say it is an effect of the recession. And many people are blaming Netflix and the internet.
“Now, if you’re watching something streaming, the next episode is immediately available, and there are no commercials where you could look over and say, ‘Honey, you look cute tonight,’” says Dr. Jean Twenge, the lead author of a 2017 article that states the reason Americans are not having enough sex is because of the streaming videos.
We got so comfortable with our phones that we forget to bond with the people significant in our life. What about instead of browsing the menu of a restaurant we go to the restaurant? What about instead of watching a movie on Netflix, we take a walk in the park with our partner. What about instead of looking down at our phones, we looked at each other in the eyes? What about instead of texting, we meet each other in person and leave our phones at home?
I say, enough! Put down your phone. Talk to the person next to you. Surprise your partner with a date night. Go on a hike. Take a walk on the beach. Go on a vacation and enjoy it without trying to capture the perfect photo. Be present.
Instead of getting addicted to your glowing screen of your mobile, get addicted to enjoying your life and experiencing it.
Love more, text less.
