When the semester begins, I can tell that my students have trouble going for a few hours without checking their phones to see who’s texted them or posted on their social media status.
In fact, I put on my syllabus that they cannot have their phones out, while class is in session. One would think this to be common sense; but in fact, if I don’t state this up front, they will try.
Some of them have become so skilled, they can text from the inside depths of their pockets. Their desperate attempt at feeding their addictions to their phones, is a symptom of a much larger problem.
On the upside, the internet has proved to be a wonderful resource for modern society. Many organizations help individuals by raising money and awareness. The internet enables us to gain endless information and to purchase just about anything we can think of with the click of a button.
Because of the internet, my husband has reconnected with his teenage hobby of rebuilding English and Italian motorcycles, and I was able to find the identical manual Corona typewriter I owned as a child.
Social media also allows us to join community groups in order to bond, share similar interests and concerns, particularly when we are too busy to get together in person.
During the pandemic, social media allowed us to work and educate from home, to get food deliveries and to stay in touch with friends and family. Many used their creative abilities to share uplifting videos and posts.
On the downside, Cyber social networking as a dominant form of human interaction and communication, is a different story. It has become much too easy to substitute physical community with cyber community. Cyber communities can cause the very thing people hope to avoid, which is a sense of loneliness and anxiety.
This phenomenon can be paralleled to the two separate Greek definitions of time. Kronos versus Kairos.
Kronos is a linear passage of time, tracked by seconds, minutes, hours, days, and years, and the ordinary and mundane flow of daily life.
Kairos, on the other hand, is a window of time that is deep, meaningful, and filled with purpose, not measured by a clock, but by the significance and texture of an experience. Kairos makes up the spending of time that define who we are and our relationships with others. Those we will remember and that have significant impact.
It’s not easy spending less time on our phones or iPads. Constant notifications and updates are created to keep our attention. Infinite scrolling, auto-play videos, and personalized feeds are all designed to keep us engaged. The bright colors and sounds are used to stimulate our superficial senses..
In an age of digital distraction, putting our phones down and joining a group activity, visiting with a neighbor or friend in person, listening to our children, going for a walk or hike, growing a garden, visiting a farm, listening to music or reading a book, are a few simple things that prove to be a healthier and more connected use of time.
The Cultural Easton 