• Have we gone Social-Media-mad? •

I was inspired to write this post when, yesterday, I was out for lunch and a couple came and sat down next to us. 

They both whipped out their phones and went straight onto Facebook, as if this were normal. And they didn't put their phones away. I was confused; I thought, 'but this is wrong'. They literally sat there, phones in hand, for the duration of their meal. Not only did they seem rude to the waitress, whom they were ignoring, but the only words they uttered were 'we'll split the bill' at the end of the meal. And I can remember thinking, 'what the hell has happened to us?!'

Social media has taken over our lives. I'll be the first to put my hands up and admit that in 2014, I would snap a picture for instagram instead of just enjoying the moment; I would tweet every few hours to ensure my followers knew I was still there; I would check my Facebook to have a nosey at everyone else lives. It's sad, but true; we really have become obsessed with social media and we become stressed when we're not on it. Maybe it's the easy, instant access to the internet that has caused this? Maybe it's because cafes and restaurants now usually have free wifi? Which brings me to my next point - why do we need free wifi in a restaurant? I can understand a cafe; it's quite nice to sit there with a coffee and do work. But doesn't wifi in a restaurant make it easier for couples/friends to just sit there on their phones instead of actually conversing with one another?

In a world where technology is developing and it's becoming easier to instagram our dinners or tweet our blog links, I think we need to establish a line that should never be crossed. I'm still at a point where I say 'excuse me, I'm so sorry' when my phone rings and I'm eating with another person. I still feel embarrassed when I get a text mid-conversation and I automatically look down to catch a glimpse of it. In my Psychology degree, I learnt that the number one reason for the end of relationships, be that with a partner or friend, is the loss of manners. A simple please, a quick thank you, and the effort to have a conversation with someone is so important for us human beings. Yet, we turn to a piece of metal to make us feel appreciated.

I'm proposing black-out Sunday at our place, and that means no laptops, no phones, no technology, no nothing, all day long (except to set our alarms for the next day - that's a necessity). I want to see if we can actually do it. I don't ever want to turn into that person that makes people feel awkward because a phone is always in their hand - I used to have a friend that did this, and it still makes me cringe now. I want to continue to be a good conversationalist, and never lose touch of what that really means.

I'd love to know your thoughts on this; please leave them in a comment.

Do you agree with me? Or disagree?

Daniela xo