Connected...But Alone (phones are robbing us, from us)

I took this photo earlier when I was coming home from my weekly b ball game at KSU heading back to Jangsan on a subway here in South Korea.

Living in Asia for over a year now off and on, it is clear that one this is more important than anything else: technology, (and education / studying of course).

For example, there are more cell phones in Korea than people, for real, apparently there is 1.5 phones per person (including kids).

Not to mention that almost ALL my students (under 10 years old) have smart phones, and they use them in class, playing games, texting, and using online dictionaries.

Its crazy.

Some of these phones are almost bigger than they are.

You know hat else is crazy?

Just the other day I counted the messenger apps on my phone...I have 7!

WTF?!

No wonder my iphone is always vibrating and beeping with apps going off all day and night like:

Skype

Twitter

Facebook

Facebook chat messenger

Whatsapp

good ol fashion text SMS

and now I have the Korean messaging phenomenon called "Kakao Talk" that is the main means of communication between everyone over here.

This TED TALK is a great insight on how we are more connected, but also more alone than ever and how it is going to get worse, before it ever gets any better.


Now, what many are saying is the next biggest threat to our society is (and a warning to you all) to NEVER install a 'chip' into your body...it may seem 'way out there'...

But this is apparently the next step in the "Tec Evolution".

Doing that, installing a robotic chip in your body for banking, personal contact info, and tracking would be the beginning of the end, in more ways that you would like to know.

We already have apps that can trace where you are, 'check in' on FB to show your location, its getting pretty creepy if you ask me but becoming mechanical instead of just flesh and bone like we were created is crossing the line of human and robots as the lady spoke of in her TED TALK above...food for thought to be aware of.

Recently, I was pretty shocked & disappointed when my 7 year old son told me that his mom got him a cell phone.

I didn't have a cell phone until I was 21 in my 3rd year of university.

When I was 7 all I wanted to do was color and play soccer.

Times are definitely changing...

And a big part of me doesn't think its for the better.

Isn't all this technology designed to make our lives easier and bring us together?

But just try to remember, when is the last time you had a deep, meaningful, uninterrupted conversation with someone, in person, without touching, texting or talking on your phone for over 30 mins?

Harder than you thought, right?

Next time your out in public, take a look around and see how many people are clutching their phones as if it is their life line...cause in a way nowadays, it is.

Right on cue, as I typed this last sentence, my phone beeped.

Ironic.

Damn you Kakao Talk.

**PS, I wanted to update this post and ad this video below because not even a week after I posted this initial video and article above, a reader of mine just emailed me this video below by Google.

I was totally creeped out by it and had to post it here to add to the content above...

Google's latest "Project Glass" product video just sent chills down my spine, (not in a good way). It should be called what the project really is: creating the "human cyborg robot"...

If this is the future of 'communicating', I want no part of it.