I am an active member of the BC Prime program (great program for a blogger wanting to learn how to make it big) which is a part of Blogging Concentrated from Dan Morris, and one of the things that he sent me was an email all about the Look Up campaign. The video moved me so much that I felt I had to jump and share it too along with my own two cents.
As you can tell from this video that, Look Up is all about taking the time to interact with the world right there around you instead of being consumed by your technology devices in your hands. I feel its solid advice that we really should spend more time following.
When I was growing up, I can remember not meeting a stranger and talking to everyone around me after I moved to SC. People took the time to know their neighbors. I knew everyone around me within an 18 mile radius due to riding my horse all around. My neighbors were outside and had no problem stopping to chat a few with me.
Knowing our Neighbors
Now when I take my kids around my neighborhood our bikes, I never see anyone outside. When I do, people are so afraid to get to know us. It’s like night and day when I think about the differences between my childhood and that of my kids.
I LIVED outside playing with our animals and my imaginary friends all throughout the woods and dirt roads around my home. Now my kids love the outdoors and playing in the trees too, but I CAN’T trust to let them go throughout the neighborhood alone. I literally fear what they will see and what could happen to them.
There have been literally been some major kidnapping events not even 45 minutes from my home. When I was growing up, that hardly ever happened. Even if it did, the neighbors knew who the kids belonged to. Now though, I literally couldn’t tell you my next door neighbor’s name. I miss having a neighborhood connection. Does it still exist around you? Do you know you’re neighbors well? Do you still sit on each other’s porches and share each other’s life stories?
I long for my kids to have that. I long for them to be able to interact with someone new without fear. Relationships could bloom from anywhere. When I try to do that now people think you’re crazy?
But yet, if we were to ‘meet’ online in some form, we’d be instant friends. Is it because when we’re online we can do complete background checks in an instant? Yet in reality a person’s character is really learned by getting to know them in person.
The Parks Are to Quiet
I literally have to drive over an hour to find a kid’s park filled with kids. The kids roam and play and make new friends with complete ease. Yet, all around the parents are glued to their iPhones and tablets. If they aren’t, they don’t want to talk to other moms. (No, it’s not just me. I have sat back and done loads of observation.) I yearn to have a connection with women in my community. I know I’m not alone. I’ve read online that other mom’s are in the same boat. Are we to afraid to make friendships?
We are becoming a nation where we don’t socialize in person with others. Our interactions have become less real. When we do interact with other’s we keep them at a distance.
I’m in the midst of reading the book I’ll Be Seeing You by Suzanne Hayes and Loretta Nyhan. This really awesome book is comprised of letters of two women who have husbands in the midst of the war. They build a connection that is mighty strong. Both of them are lonely and wanting companionship. They have friends in their lives, but it’s not the same.
Understanding the Online World
I truly understand having an online relationship that is close knit. I have my fair share of them. I do gain more of them everyday due to the blogging world. However, what about the relationships we aren’t growing due to the fact that we’re so glued to the online world.
I’m not saying that our entire society has turned against getting to know others in person, but it is happening all around us. We need to take the time to shut down all technology and spend time with our family. We will not always have those moments to do that.
This summer I encourage you to take your kids to your local park. Instead of only letting your kids create those lasting friendships take some time to get to know the other parents around you. Talk to the person behind you in the line while you’re waiting. Get to know the people you meet in the library. There are so many places we can start a friendship.
Do you make time for your family without technology?
This is so spot on!! We went out to eat the other night and I was so frustrated by the parents spending the bulk of their time on their phones.
I know my husband and I spend time on our phones and tablets when we go to IHOP with the kids, but we are also with our kids all the time. Usually after we leave there we are headed to do some major family event with no technology allowed. So, we are tying up loose ends before we are unreachable for a bit. In some cases, it’s beyond what we see, but that’s rare in all honesty.
This is something we are working on in our home. Our main rule is no phones during dinner time. I personally have to get better at it.
It’s hard when you get addicted to “being connected” online to others. Yet, we don’t connect with those right there in front of us.
What has the world turned into! It is such bad manners to be talking to someone who refuses to put down their phone!
My Mom installed this rule into me the minute I owned my first cell phone which wasn’t until I was in my twenties and on my own! She was very right.
This is so true. As I child, we would play outside for hours without a worry in the world. We just knew to be in the house when the street lights came on. Now, I do not know a single neighbor. Nobody spends time outside their house and never even bothers to say hi, although I will always wave hello if I’m in my car passing by or say hi if I see them outside.
It doesn’t happen very often where you can say hello to someone outside. You know what gets me is people look at my kids and I outside all the time and give us strange looks.
All so true! I try not to blog much during the day ( I try to wait until kiddos are in bed) BUT I also have to remember hubby!
It’s hard to juggle it all for sure. I personally consider my blog my business, so I do work a lot during the day. However, I do make sure that my kids get at least two hours of my undivided attention a day. They love that I do the blogging bit, so they are just as involved in it as I am at times.
Hi Crystal! I agree. It is really sad to see how many people are on their phones, looking down EVERYWHERE! I too often think back to fun times having water balloon fights, doing crafts in the park and just talking with my friends. I do take breaks from technology but it makes me said when we are forced into it with record and book stores closing.
I was just telling my husband that I wanted to do some of the old time fun events I did as a kid growing up. I convinced him enough to get the stuff to do it. 🙂 I can’t wait to do them with my kids.
We definitely make “no technology” times. Also none of our children have phones yet which I think is a big help, and when they do get phones we’ve already told them that there will be no phones at the table. When we move we will have access to less internet since our home will be more rural. I only see this as good (except I’m not sure how it will affect my blogging). This afternoon six of my eight children were in the back yard playing together and it made me so happy.