We live in a world where we are slaves to our phones, servants to Google, and captives to reality TV. The only matter worth our worry is what angle Kim K’s next selfie will come from. Proving that a dress is black and blue versus white and gold is the root of our conversation for two days straight. Is Blake Livley’s baby’s name Violet or not? (Or not. James Lively.) Remember the last time you didn’t check Instagram while you were on the toilet? Me either.
What if we put our phones down for one day? Just ONE day. Honestly, I’d love to see that happen but I deem it impossible. For most of us.
In this generation, our phone is our best friend- literally. We do everything with it. You can even throw a life proof case on it and take it to the pool with you. It’s right their when you wake up. It’s right beside you while you do your makeup. It’s playing your favorite song while you work out. It’s occupying every second (every single millisecond) of your free time. It’s what you look at while walking. It fills the void when you might’ve actually had to have a real life conversation with a complete stranger in that elevator. It’s your biggest distraction while driving. It’s dangerous. IT is an object. An object that we feel inclined to possess every second of our day.
If you aren’t constantly checking your Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, texts, emails, etc. you feel as if you’re suddenly lost and off track with your entire day, week, month, life…? The saddest thing about our phones is that we forget we have a life outside of them.
Phone usage has gotten so severe that we block out the conversation we are having aloud with the person sitting next to us and are only concentrated on that last tweet Anna Kendrick live tweeted about the Bachelor. The point is, in this day and age, it’s natural for us to be so enthralled by media and social web-based communication that our day to day lives are revolved around it. We’re all guilty of it for the most part. I know I definitely am.
Heard of the word ‘phubbing’? Doubt it. It’s definition as to http://stopphubbing.com/: The act of snubbing someone in a social setting by looking at your phone instead of paying attention.
Stop Phubbing is a campaign started by Alex Haigh to end antisocial phone use- primarily as what I presume to be a joke, as the website is permeated with fabricated statistics such as “97% of people claim their food tasted worse while being a victim of phubbing.”
Stop Phubbing even provides an email template to send to the phubbers in your life as an intervention. Not only that, but you can download decals, posters, and even wedding place cards. SP takes it one step further to allow you to upload a picture of the phubber to “shame them,” stating, “Be brutal. It’s the only way we’ll stop phubbing for good.”
As much of an antic as Stop Phubbing is, it’s message is pertinent- and very much so at that. Even Coca-Cola created an ad in relevance to phubbing:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8LLQIbr2-k0.
Take one moment to think about the last time you were a victim of phubbing or maybe even a phubber yourself. We’ve all been there and there is no denying that.
Photo: http://stopphubbing.com
Phubber: Think about what was so important on your phone. Victim: Think about how you felt when you realized mid-sentence you were talking to yourself.
Phubber: Do you remember what you were staring at on your whole 6.7 square inches of digital screen? Victim: Did you want to continue spending time with the phubber?
Phubber: How many likes did your last Insta post get? Victim: How did your food taste?
Chances are, phubber, you don’t remember what you were eloped by- considering you’ve probably scrolled through thousands, ten-thousands of posts since the occasion. And chances are you also missed out on some really interesting conversation with the poor victim.
And victim, you probably felt like uploading a picture of the phubber to Stop Phubbing, along with an intervention email to the phubber as you are obligated to do so. Your food probably tasted awful.
As silly as a Stop Phubbing campaign is, I challenge you all to participate. Not necessarily participating through the actual campaign and website- but more so in real life! That’s the whole point of it anyways, right? I challenge you to drop the phone, make some eye contact, spark up some conversation, and watch your life change. One day, leave your phone at home, out of sight, and go out and be interactive with real life people-there are such a thing. I have my doubts that many people will be able to accomplish that task, even more so attempt it…but I’d love to be proven wrong. If you took a look at the campaigns website, you might have seen the last bit stating, “Phubbing has been labeled by etiquette advisors as ‘The end to civilization.’” Are you ready to end civilization, or revolutionize it? Your choice.