Be Here Now

As functioning human beings living in the twenty-first century we all have pieces of technology that we carry around with us every day. Whether it be a smartphone, a tablet, or a laptop computer, you rarely find someone without one of these things in their hand, pocket, or bag. Phones and laptops connect us all to each other, making it easier to stay in touch and know where everyone is at any second of the day. Although I would probably be lost without my phone/laptop, sometimes I just want to put it down, leave it at home, and just forget about sending text messages or emails or checking my notifications on Facebook. After reading an article in the New York Times last week titled, Your Phone vs. Your Heart, I started thinking more about the amount of time I use technology in a given day and how I want to try to limit that number. The article discusses the idea that social connections leave physical imprints on us.
The author, Barbara L. Fredrickson writes:
"How much time do you typically spend with others? And when you do, how connected and attuned to them do you feel? Your answers to these simple questions may well reveal your biological capacity to connect."
These lines in particular stood out to me. Whenever I am with my friends we say "be here now" if one of us is on our phone, and it really makes a difference when we are all present and 'here' connecting with each other and not on our phones. The article goes on to explain that there are beneficial health effects to becoming more attuned to others, and if you don't exercise your ability to make connections face to face, you will eventually come to lack the biological capacity to do so. The human body needs social contact so a simple smile or laugh can have a lasting impact on a person's ability to make a connection. After reading this article I have vowed to be more conscious of how often I'm on my phone and to be more socially aware of my surroundings. Hopefully you too will read this article and "be here now" too!