Today I bumped into an old friend and we decided to have dinner at a newly opened classy Italian restaurant. It was a good place to sit and catch up. While we were sitting and talking about the good old times, I happened to glance at the couple sitting next to our table. They both were busy with their smartphones texting, facebooking and tweeting. When me and my friend were done with the dinner and were paying our bill, I noticed that the couple still had their head bent down and were glaring at their blue mobile screen while their hands were busy texting, facebooking and tweeting. They were not having any conversation, no eye contact and no smiles, just endless phone conversations with million other people with whom they were connected within the cyber world. What could have turned into a romantic date between two people had become a date of an individual with his smartphone.

Now, I do not deny the fact that I’m literally addicted to my smartphone. Being a Digital Junkie, I’m always connected via emails and messengers. I’m constantly replying to emails and chatting with clients and colleagues. My work is always on and does not stop even when I’m on the roads. But I always try to not let my phone distract me when I’m out with friends or family (Although on occasions I have been blamed for being non attentive to conversations and being busy with work on phone). Still in my opinion being always on the phone while on a date is simply rude, it’s better if you do not even go on a date if you plan to spend it having conversation with your smartphone instead of the date.

But when I saw that couple in the restaurant, a thought struck me. Technology has advanced to great levels which were not even imaginable few years ago but it has made us less focused on each other and more focused on what is happening everywhere else. Being engrossed in technology all the time has really changed the way we communicate these days. Instead of phone conversations, we text, we email, we tweet, but picking up the phone and dialing the numbers is just too cumbersome for us. Everything is becoming automated, less emotional and less personal. Now with the SIRI, I can only imagine how impersonal we will get, we will just rely on the phone to do things for us.

A date is a time of bonding for two people to know each other and spend time with someone you really care about. In fact a successful date is a milestone in deciding whether that person will be your soul mate or not. Now think about it, if you end up dating your smartphone instead, how you will know the person and if that person is perfect for you, you might even miss the opportunity of knowing him/her.

Many times I have been out with people I care about and I end up talking to my smartphone and I have duly being scolded for it. Be with people who are sitting with you and pay attention to them, period. Your smartphone maybe very smart but it is not smart enough to live life with forever.