Why Sometimes We Should be Attached to Our Mobile Device

So in my most recent blog post I discussed at some length the pit falls of mobile phone dependency. I hesitate to use “addiction” just yet, though it is a terrible problem worldwide. But sometimes we actually really need to look at our phones—case in point as to why I had brunch alone this week at a sit down restaurant. Now, mind you I have eaten many times alone in a “sit down” place, getting the usually shout out “table for one” along with the pity nod, you know the look!

            Brunch plans with an old friend were laid in place just at the beginning of the week without any words being spoken, mind you I am 60 and my brunch date is 71, though we still did not speak. We texted time and location and how excited that we were able to plan it so flawlessly. However, as they say the best laid plans…

            I had a work meeting from 8:30 AM-10:00 AM and the phone was away from me and on silent—remember I am trying to detach from it, put it out of my consciousness at least while we are meeting and this case having an amazing yoga lesson. Having been so relaxed by the yoga session, I never pulled out the device, weird I know. To bad too, because after driving around looking for a spot, pumping quarters into the meter and then nearly falling on my behind on some hidden ice, I pull out the device as I approach the restaurant, a text which read “I am feeling woozy this am..I did not sleep well..could we postpone until another day or next week please”? Darn…

            There have been other times I should have been looking at my e-mail on the weekend, instead we missed the first act of the opening night of the Lyric Opera of Chicago—had I only looked at my device we would have not had to watch from the lobby. Had I looked at my device I would have noticed that my credit card company blocked me from buying a photo scanner thinking it was fraud and frankly a few other times.

            I guess what I am saying is there must be a middle ground between being addicted to my mobile device and virtually ignoring it. None of these things were life changers, but maybe one day it could be.