One of the strangest things I have seen in recent times is a group of college students on break in the Bahamas sitting in the most beautiful beach-side cafe glued to their iPhones, iPads and lap tops.
The crystal clear water lapped against the white sand just a few steps away, yet these students were more interested in what was going on in cyberspace to enjoy their beautiful surroundings.
On closer inspection, what had the attention of the students was not some pressing assignment that was due or anything of great importance, it was Facebook.
Why scroll through Bill’s pictures of the keg party you missed the other night because you are in the Bahamas? It didn’t make sense.
These students weren’t just briefly looking at the site either. As I ate my lunch and enjoyed the views they never took their eyes off their screens. Well perhaps when it came time to order or take a bite.
These days kids grow up using iPhones and lap tops and smart phones and what not. And technology is a very important part of our lives. Yet there has to be a time when you disconnect and leave the pictures of Bill’s keg party for a rainy day – certainly not when you are on a trip of a lifetime in tropical paradise.
When I left the cafe to head back to my chair in the sun, I couldn’t help but think about that movie Wall-E. In particular the part where all the humans fly around on space chairs all day looking at small screens in front of them while they wait for robots to clean the world.
That film provided not only great entertainment but a very poignant commentary on society today. Those kids glued to their screens in the Bahamas were missing out on not only on the beautiful scenery but interacting with one another. Like those humans in the movie.
Don’t get me wrong, all the modern technology and sites where you can stay in touch with people from all over the world are great, and I am sure those students who made friends on the trip used those sites to stay in contact with one another.
But there must come a point when it is time to switch off and enjoy the moment.
Savour precious moments while you are in college because once you land a job it becomes a lot harder to sneak away for a trip with friends to the Bahamas or any other place for that matter.
