Smart People not "Smart" Phones

I just can't seem to agree with the term "smart phone". I don't think that something which keeps us looking down all the time and that can come so close to simulating face-to-face contact that the real thing becomes close to avoidable is "smart". Perhaps this has struck me now more than ever because I have just moved downtown where people seem to stumble into each other a lot, eyes glued to smart phone screens and fingers-a-textin' away. Smart phone commercials promise to connect us to each other more than ever, but it seems to me that they very often do the opposite.

According to a recent article published in the Gerogia Straight ("SFU Public Square community summit addresses feelings of isolation and disconnection"), Vancouver's youth feels a high degree of isolation. This sentiment is especially high in those who are not originally from Vancouver, a.k.a pretty much everyone (or at least a very large percentage of people) in this city. The article describes Vancouver's social scene as being "cliquey" and hard to penetrate. I have to agree and wish to add that smart phones are not making the situation any better. If people are continuously walking around hypnotized by their gadgets, they don't seem very approachable nor do they give off the open friendly, energy that we Canadians are famous for.

The Gerogia Straight article confirms what common sense should tell us anyway, which is that isolation creates worse health, decreased participation in community events and a general feeling of negativity towards others. This is not what we need at this time. I feel that a paradigm shift has begun worldwide that some of us just haven't fully woken up to. Even the briefest of glimpses at global and local events and current research tells us that sustainable communities are the key to having a strong chance at a decent future. And sustainable communities come from participation and honest communication, not text messages.

The amazing thing about living in Vancouver is that we have people here from all over the world, be they first, second, third, or tenth generation. We all bring our wealth of knowledge, our histories, cultures, and languages to this place and it would be nice to see more sharing of these aspects with those outside of our little group of friends.

In the old days, one common catalyst for starting up a conversation with a stranger was asking for directions. Now, our smart phones do a much better job than a "it's right over there, you can't miss it!" from a stranger. Nowadays, it's much more common to see someone smiling down at a funny text someone sent them rather than smiling at the person walking towards them on the street. Unlimited texting plans have led to some of the most meaningless conversations we have ever had and give us something to do as we sit on long bus rides or walk down a busy street. Now, whenever a stranger strikes up a conversation, we always seem to assume they are creepy or weird, rather than just being friendly. That is, until they are determined otherwise.

Of course it's not the smart phones' fault, it's just that sometimes we let them be a replacement of what we used to get from real people without realizing that the replacement doesn't give us exactly the same thing. Right now, our communities need smart people, not smart phones, in order to build living places of connectedness, in which health and prosperity can be sustained over the long run. We need more gardens, locally grown produce, support groups, and above all open and inviting meeting spots that will encourage people to put down their phones to stop and look around at something which is much more interesting than an LCD screen.

 

Here is a link to the Georgia Straight Article: http://www.straight.com/article-775881/vancouver/sfu-public-square-community-summit-addresses-feelings-isolation-and-disconnection