How many of us have started getting dry eyes with thumbs that never seem to cease and blue light casts its glow on every face. I am in a big quest as I find myself in a curious position detached. Smartphones buzz endlessly, even in moments that used to be sacred or private.
I’ve seen people step into meetings with phones half-hidden, fingers flying. I’ve seen videos streamed on full volume in public restrooms, the echo of laughter bouncing off tiles. Even at lunch tables, the screen sits at the centre not the conversation. Have we turned out to be rude that having a face-to-face conversation these days is a crime that you need to ask the other person permission or is it too much of invading someone’s personal space?
I think we’ve reached a point where being unreachable, even for a moment, feels like a threat not just to others, but to ourselves. But I’ve found that in those empty moments, there’s a quiet sort of clarity. When you're not reacting to every ping or pop-up, you have time to think, to breathe, and sometimes, to just be. My phone is never flooded with messages and this is not my lifeline.
Maybe it’s not about being boring, but about being different in a world that’s elapsed how to pause or it might be that I am just used to my daily schedule and I have my little tastes and preferences on my smartphones. But don’t worry if you see me sitting alone, phone face down just know that I am not waiting for a message I am already listening.
Mathew Litty,
Dubai