I work a job in customer service in which before the Pandemic I would service almost 3000 people a day. I enjoyed listening to stories about the challenges of their work day, success stories about their children, travel plans or new restaurant experiences. These are just some of the stories shared with me during our brief interactions.

I noticed families sitting next to each other or couples across from one another and no one is talking. Everyones head is down and everyone is on or in their phone. Fingers scrolling through social media; FaceBook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter. I find it interesting how people can sit right next to each other for over an hour and not engage in any conversation. I have not just witnessed these behaviors at work but also in my personal life.

I have been out to lunch or dinner and noticed four or more people sitting at the same table and again, each one is on or in their phones. I believe that social media has a way of distracting us from what’s important; friends and family. It also creates communication barriers where we lose our ability to connect with a loved one. This has been a very challenging year for many and that in itself creates many opportunities for face-to-face conversations.

I fully understand that there are many people that have family living far away and that social media has a way of making you feel a sense of closeness as you connect with them. I also understand that during this Pandemic, we may not be able to visit some family members regularly like we are used to. NOT talking about this at all. I am talking about the ones that before you even get out of bed, you check your phone for FaceBook. I am talking about those whose only method of communication is through texting and emojis. Please put your phones down and take a break from social media, it will make all the difference in the world.

There is a really informative documentary on Netflix called the “Social Dilemma”. I highly recommend watching it.