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| phonelife |
The whole time that I`ve been here, I thought Japanese people were seriously addicted to their smartphones. But, now I think that it's more the case that I just happened to have been living in Japan at the time when Smartphones peaked in popularity and technological capability, rendering general society to be highly addicted.
Smartphones are very useful - Google maps saves my life... I would never be able to navigate the Tokyo subway system without it. And, of course, Whatsapp and Facebook allow me to maintain contact with family and friends back home. It's truly amazing.
However, I've had this deep growing feeling for quite some time, that outside of being an instrument of distraction, Smartphones and social media are having strong negative effects on individuals and society in more profound ways. I wasn't able to tangibly express why, but I've found a very insightful YouTube interview with American motivational speaker Simon Sinek, that sums it up really well (purposely starting at 3:49):
This certainly got me thinking. I showed the video to Matt (who I think is more addicted to his phone than me), and we discussed how we will start trying to take active steps towards cutting down on using our phones and pay more attention to each other.
Dear Friend,
ReplyDeleteMy name is Nerissa and I am Filipino and Italian. I am an expat, a traveler, and a mother. I have just created a website called www.peopleabroad.org to talk about the stories of people that for different reasons live or travel around the world.
I hope you could contribute with your personal story to this website. I would also appreciate if you can also publish summaries of some of your best articles that are currently on your blog/website also on PeopleAbroad.org (obviously, I will give you credits for your posts). An interview will also be appreciated.
I thank you for your precious time and, whatever your belief is, I wish you a peaceful time for Christmas.
All the best,
Nerissa