Cell phones have become a part of our everyday lives since their creation and innovation. We never leave the house without them, utilize them for our Duo Push needs and even controversially use them while you’re on the toilet.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I, too, fall victim to being unaware of my surroundings, specifically when I’m entering new spaces I’m too unfamiliar with. The safety net our phones provide us undoubtedly brings us comfort.
According to reviews.org, Americans check their phones 205 times a day, and an overwhelming 78.2% feel uneasy leaving their phone at home.
Innovation and continued upgrades of cellular devices have made it difficult to live without them.
Have you ever noticed how crowded a Trader Joe’s can get and how seemingly impossible it is to walk through the aisles? Or even walking to class and through buildings during a rush, while seemingly nobody wants to get out of the way? Don’t even get me started with the number of times I have seen people crossing the street while on their phones.
It feels like a battle of holding your ground until you’re prepared to make it to your next destination.
UO senior Carmen Park talked about their experience walking through a screen-filled campus.
“Though I also fall victim to this culture, I’ve almost run into multiple people walking to class simply because their faces never look up from their phones,” Park said. “There’s no amount of eye contact or verbal politeness as they become physical obstacles.”
Constant digital distraction is an ongoing problem that becomes a tangible issue when we sacrifice our time locked in on these cellular devices.
Another take by UO senior Gracie Kay describes a stronger feeling of entitlement expressed by peers in our environment.
“I think people have just become more entitled and lazy in the way they interact with strangers,” Kay said.
Kay discussed navigating campus around groups of friends who stand in the middle of sidewalks and even bikers who claim sidewalks and roads for themselves, especially on East 13th Avenue, compared to sharing the space with walking pedestrians.
“There seems to be a lack of social awareness even with older generations,” Kay said. “When I’ve walked behind a professor entering a building, they don’t hold the door open for you, even if you are a couple of steps behind them entering the same place.”
Not only does our sense of our surroundings become scarce, but so does our concept of time.
“We’ve mastered moving faster into the future,” Park said. “If you’re ever bored or in any need of escape, we’ve all got devices that can make hours feel like minutes.”
We have become so equipped to rely on technology and develop easier ways to connect ourselves to distant places that we have failed to realize the consequences of losing out on everything that is in front of us.
What can we do better to prolong this inevitable new digital space era? Perhaps attempting to stay present is the best way to combat this.
