Why Can't We Just Disconnect?

By Tamiera Vandegrift on March 21, 2016

When I walk around campus, I have a habit of subconsciously counting random things like cracks in the sidewalk, trees planted in a symmetrical pattern, and even my own steps. The other day, as I was walking to class, my eyes glanced over a girl with her cell phone gripped tightly in her fist. As a result, I started counting passing people holding their cell phones. By the time I reached my classroom, I was up to almost ninety people before I realized that the ninetieth person was actually me.

The technology invented with the intent of keeping us connected to our friends and loved ones has actually had the opposite effect, establishing a disconnect between us and our reality, a disconnect that’s pretty hard to break away from.

So why can’t we just disconnect?

Why is it so difficult for us to keep our hands free when we go from place to place?

Image via: www.immediatefuture.co.uk

My theory is that we need it. We need to keep our devices on hand to keep us online, to keep us connected, to keep us entertained, and to keep us open to human communication. Nowadays, this is the communication and attention that we thrive from. We’re waiting to see if anyone noticed our gorgeous photography on Instagram. We’re waiting to see if anyone paid attention to our last witty Facebook status. We’re waiting to see  if anyone responded to our texts. All in all, we’re waiting for validation.

Seeking validation isn’t necessarily a bad thing, or rather, it’s not entirely unjustifiable. As a species, we want to conform and feel that we belong to a group. We crave acceptance from others and in this day and age, that acceptance can come in the form of “likes” and “retweets”.  We survive socially based off of this constant validation and maybe we feel a bit lost without it. With the entire technological world at our very fingertips, we’ve become socially dependent on the most minuscule forms of attention.

Is there anything inherently wrong with this?

Well, like any addiction, the problem begins when the craving becomes excessive, or when you can’t put down your phone for more than five minutes without checking some form of social media unprompted.  Again, we’ve conditioned ourselves to this so if you’re in this situation, do not assume that something is wrong with you. This is just how we’ve created ourselves: hungry for constant approval because constant approval is readily available. However, this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t try to change ourselves.

Image via: John Holcroft http://www.johnholcroft.com/portfolio38.html

Every time we disconnect from reality to connect to an IV of digital validation, we’re removing ourselves from something much more valuable. Ask yourself when the last time was that you walked from one place to another without once looking at your cell phone, and walks from your bedroom to the refrigerator do not count! If it’s been a while, like it has been for me, I have a challenge for you.

I challenge all of us to disconnect completely. For a day, log off of social media completely. Don’t check it once throughout an entire day. Instead focus on how beautiful the sunlight feels when it shines on your skin. Think about your future and where you’d like to see yourself. Listen to the sounds of the world around you. Set goals for yourself and have daydreams about achieving them. Smile and greet passing strangers- you don’t know how much they may need a friendly face. Find validation within yourself rather than from little red notifications.

If it feels right, keep it up for a week or two. You have my blessing. For at least just a day, live your life offline and I promise, we will all find ourselves connecting to something significantly more valuable.

Follow Uloop

Apply to Write for Uloop News

Join the Uloop News Team

Discuss This Article

Get Top Stories Delivered Weekly

Back to Top

Log In

Contact Us

Upload An Image

Please select an image to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format
OR
Provide URL where image can be downloaded
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format

By clicking this button,
you agree to the terms of use

By clicking "Create Alert" I agree to the Uloop Terms of Use.

Image not available.

Add a Photo

Please select a photo to upload
Note: must be in .png, .gif or .jpg format