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with Points to Ponder 
   November 2010                                           Newsletter #26

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Tech-Addiction
 

This morning I slept a bit longer than I had intended.  But not wanting to miss my morning walk I went out and almost immediately noticed there was more traffic on the roads than I was use to seeing. At my usual time of 5:30 AM there are very few cars on the road, and I seldom run into other walker or runners. On this particular morning the sun was already coming up and the world was moving at a quicker pace than I was accustom.  The high school students which I am sure most of them are usually not even up when I go out, were there at their bus stops.  Gathered in small clusters they were quietly standing almost motionless, watching and waiting for their buses. 

 

It immediately brought back memories of standing at the bus stop as a high school kid.  We'd be talking, picking on each other, discussing the upcoming dance, or in some way interacting with energy and interaction, across grade levels and if memory serves me, everyone was involved.  In retrospect it holds lots of meaning.  Lucky for me we use to catch the bus right across from my house, in front of my father's barbershop. On one morning the group seemed more animated than usual and some us were horsing around when one of the kids at the stop lost his footing and fell against my father's small barbershop window breaking it!  Happiness is not going to your house and telling your father, "I'm going to school now, and by the way your window is broken."  It was not a happy morning!

 

Sorry, I digressed!  Back to my walk; as I approached this group and recalled my memories, I noted something different about this group.  As I approached the group of seven or eight students  standing at the corner, I noticed a most unusual thing.  As I approached the group I noticed that none of them were talking to each other.  None of them were interacting! Each one had a set of head phones and were isolated in their own auditory world.  Many of them were staring at the ground, completely cut off from those around them.  As I approached they seemed to not notice me.  I had doubt as to if they even noticed each other!  Did they notice the level of traffic, or the birds singing quietly. Were they friends or did they even know each other's names?  I wondered how much they were missing out on, like finding out who the others in the group were, where they had been, or what their thoughts or dreams are.  The thought of this being the new norm scared and saddened me.

 

Meeting with organizational leaders, teachers, HR department reps, and counselors the consistent feedback I receive is that when young people come into interviews, or begin working many of them are inappropriate in their interactions.  The professionals attribute this to their lack of experience in face to face interactions and an inability to accurately read social cues.  If this is true, how will they work through problems, relationships and work effectively in teams?

 

In a discussion with a manager from a large missile defense company, he stated his biggest struggles are getting new workers to work as teams, develop collaborations, work out problems, and be creative.  "They are very good at finding information or coming up with facts, don't but ask them to work out a problem or function in a group.  They can't do it!" he said.

 

This jogged my memory of a high school I worked with several months ago.  They had decided to go paperless, providing every student in the school with a laptop.  At first I though how great this would be; but then I heard a frightening story from the school counselor.  She said in previous years, when you would walk into the cafeteria at lunchtime it was the usual chaos you would expect; loud talking, lots of interactions, and some horsing around.  Today when you walk in, it is as quiet as a library.  Everyone is isolated at their computers; not talking or personally interacting.  Scarier yet, some were even texting others at the same table!!!

 

My concern is that we are seeing the onset and full development  of Tech-addiction.  This is not a recognized addiction yet, but when you look at the physical, psychological, and behavioral changes from over use, and consistent high level use of technology it parallels all of the indicators for an addiction.  If you would like to learn more, or want to know what you can do today to begin offsetting this dangerous international trend, please call; or if you must, text me at 609-387-5226 or email me at: [email protected].  However you contact me, I'll get right back to you.  Most likely I'll try a phone call first!


Be well,


John


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