Too Wired In?

It’s not uncommon to see a tweet about being on vacation. It’s not even unheard of to see someone posting on Facebook about a recent trip to the grocery store. Without a doubt, people are more connected in the digital age than we ever have been. It makes you wonder if we are actually losing the enjoyment and satisfaction of certain activities by being so connected to the world. Take a look at vacations: family vacations are a way to bring the family together, and not worry about everything else going on. But at the end of the day, the majority who are supposed to be enjoying vacation are making sure to check their email, Facebook, and/or Twitter. Of course, certain situations make this more difficult than others.

A few years ago, I went on a family cruise to St. Maarten, Puerto Rico, and Haiti. While it would have been really cool to upload some pictures or check on my friends, there was one major problem: international waters. This meant that if I wanted to even send a text message my phone bill would take a hit. The cruise ship’s internet required extra money, so there really was no contact with the outside world. I have to say that my cruise had to be some of the best days of my life. Of course it was fun, but it was nice to not worry about anything going on, and just relax.

This is a feeling that many people miss out on, unfortunately, by remaining “plugged in”. We have become so connected as a society that many people become more interested in the lives of others than their own. Not to mention the lack of privacy and security. As sad as it may seem, posting your location when on a business trip or vacation can put you at risk. With people’s need to be connected and let the public know, it’s scary to think about how much more connected we can be as a society.

Nobody’s perfect, of course. Even while typing this post I could think of a few instances that I might have been a little too candid with my public information. It’s great to catch up with everyone and see the current events that are going on, but how much is too much? Should we be making the world more integrated, and keep everyone “on the grid”? Or maybe, just maybe, everyone can have an opportunity every once in a while to sit back, relax, and unplug.