Technology Sucks
Ever feel like you see the top of your teen’s head more than her face? With the plethora of tech options out there, from Snapchat to vlogs, teens’ mental health may be linked to screen-time more often than face-time. Young adults may know what this feels like too (ever noticed your phone more than your date, check email in a meeting, light from Instagram updates keep you up at night?). Technology can be awesome, but actual face-to-face time has its benefits too:
Negotiation. Sometimes difficult conversations are best done in person; no worries about misunderstood context or language that can happen via text and email. There’s no bitmoji for compromise.
Emotional expression. Sure, smiley faces are nice, but using actual words to express your feelings and receiving feedback in the present, along with body language, teaches us just as much about how to handle emotions as it does about communicating them.
Relationship building. All that eye contact, personal exchange and opportunity for physical touch allows us to connect with family, friends, and romantic partners in an authentic way.
Does technology really suck? Sometimes; I once heard someone once ask if the "Hey!" they received via email could be construed as friendly or more of a growl. So, set a mindfulness goal to be present for real face-time by making tech-free time.
