Look up. Just look up.
I’m the first to admit I’m addicted to technology. Without my phone I feel lost, sick, anxious. But when I’m in social situations and I feel myself grasping for it under the dinner table, I feel embarrassed. It doesn’t stop me though, and I bet you’re the same.
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When people have, on occassion, called me out on my behaviour, I’m shocked at how rude I’m being. Out to work drinks? We’re all scrolling through Instagram. At a wedding? We’re hashtagging and uploading. In a meeting? Just a quick game of Angry Birds. It never stops.
But there’s a very good reason you should put down your phone and start reconnecting with the world.
Photographer Babycakes Romero has created a series that captures these moments where people are disconnected with reality and lost in the technological world.
And yes, it’s depressing to see it laid out in black and white.
You might say it’s hypocritical for Romero to photograph this when he probably does the exact same. But he says he doesn’t even own a smartphone.
Related: Before and After: Photos of gender reassignment surgery.
Top Comments
Phones at the dinner table are so rude! It's fine if you are expecting an urgent call, but excuse yourself to take the call, then put the phone away. It is ok to do something that adds to the conversation, for example, if no one can remember the name of the actor in a movie you're discussing. Someone looks it up, everyone says "oh yeah!", the phone is put away and the conversation continues. Even taking pictures of your food is acceptable. But texting, emailing, Facebooking, taking calls at the table, that is rude. It's basically telling the people you're with that the people on the other end of the phone are more important than them. Rude.
Think of it not as death of conversation, but conversation evolving, into something new. I as an introvert love being able to have access to my phone in social situations.