Digital Nutrition

THE Interviews: As a bemused 'Cultural Observer,' I'm simply attempting to understand, without an ounce of judgment, why Millennials and Gen Z appear to be physically nourished by their electronic devices more than actual food.

-You can't Live Forever ~ But you can Text Forever-

I've chatted with several young folks about this phenomenon. One gentleman was scrolling through his phone while simultaneously carrying on three different conversations on three different apps. I casually inquired when he last looked up to verify we were still on planet Earth. He chuckled and said, "Maybe Tuesday?" Ah, 'Digital Oxygen!' The responses were nearly universal. "This is how we maintain our social ecosystem: CB radios, landline telephones, and passing handwritten notes were how previous generations connected." Yes, but those didn't illuminate your face at 2 AM while lying in bed..!

— Scrolling & Swiping —

I 'Politely' asked a tech-savvy young woman about the five devices arranged in a semi-circle around her coffee shop table. She informed me they were 'Essential Tools' and preferred not to elaborate: Sorry to power "Down" here but five devices are 'Essential'?

Another explained, "I'm constantly connected because I need to be available for my personal brand: Perhaps we're just people who require constant validation and informational intravenous drips. We are the Always-Accessible Generation such as when a family member texts during a wedding ceremony to ask where the good restaurants are nearby."

Yet another had a phone permanently affixed to her hand with a special grip that resembled a medical device: I refrained from commenting, but in our day that was called a "Book." Many will disagree with my observations. I've mentioned this digital dependency in some of my 'Blogs' and received comments from Tech-Influencers saying that "I just don't appreciate the connectivity of modern society."

I completely understand and respect their constant accessibility and the efficiency that it may provide. With the exception of dining experiences whereby the first concern is whether the establishment has sufficient outlets and WiFi strength rather than the quality of the culinary offerings. It shouldn't be about signal bars but actual food bars.

I categorize this under 'Just Common Courtesy Practices' that might take away from our reasons for gathering. We have the 'right' to converse with whom we wish, as they have their rights to make genuine conversation increasingly difficult; shouldn't consideration work both ways?

True Story: Recently we invited a young couple to dinner who were delightful and impressively educated; we did not extend another invitation.

After they departed, they immediately messaged us about the lovely evening. Not wanting to seem ungrateful, we thanked them for coming. They had spent the entire meal taking photos of each dish, checking in digitally, and responding to non-emergency messages. Standard 'Face-to-Face' interaction practices simply limit the chances to connect these days. I suppose it's just me regarding present engagement: Such as showing up physically while mentally residing in seventeen different group chats.

— It's not a Sin to be 'Connected' but it is to be Disconnected from those around you —

The couple later posted reviews of our dinner party with rankings and comparisons to previous social engagements they'd attended. Subsequently, we learned that these digital documentarians tried the same detailed analysis with other friend groups only to find their invitation pool mysteriously drying up. They couldn't understand why their social calendar had such excellent coverage but diminishing signal strength. It truly saddens me how we may have become a vastly 'something to post about' society within many interpersonal interactions.

I certainly understand Screen Time goes back decades to television and video games as entertainment or escape, especially with those within younger demographics, as evidenced by the original Game Boy survivors: Many family therapists are more or less on the fence regarding this issue from generation to generation, in my opinion. Having spent many years watching technology evolve, it seems that it's tradition to have Screens made famous by Star Trek communicators, "Beam me up, Scotty ~ I can't put my phone down..!" But, I passed on the "Digital Oxygen"...couldn't get past the phantom vibration syndrome..!

Taylor Michaels, Springfield, Oregon

'Senior' Humor Columnist - Digital Detox Advocate -