Blessing or Curse

January 19, 2024

Sitting on the crowded Skytrain the other day, my cell phone was inconveniently out of reach, tucked away under a couple of layers of clothing. So, I was forced to play a game which I play quite often – looking around without making eye contact and trying to surreptitiously come back to look at interesting people or, sometimes, depending upon the seat, simply looking at the person straight across from you.

Nearly all those on the Skytrain (with the noted exception of the sleeping construction worker) were staring at their cell phones. Even the standees having to hold on for balance were somehow plugged in and listening or talking on their phones.  I have been trying to reduce the amount of screen time that I spend somewhat mindlessly web-surfing as I check and re-check emails or re-read the same sort of news/sports stories. Looking around that Skytrain car, confirmed to me that I am not the only one struggling with the challenge of screen time and I felt compelled to re-affirm that I should try harder to overcome this addictive habit as it can be a time-wasting, isolating Curse.

The past two days have been “snow days” for me. Enough snow fell that the roads and sidewalks are not easily or safely used. So, I  have been restricted to my house and unable to get about as normal and to take the walks outside that I enjoy.

Fortunately, at the same time as I was succumbing to my web-surfing addiction, my computer came to my rescue. I stumbled upon an interesting podcast. It was Richard Dawkins- “Courage to be Honest- On stage with Ricky Gervais”. The podcast was intellectually stimulating and funny. It succeeded in taking me outside of the physical limitations imposed by the snow and connecting me in a stimulating and enjoyable way with the world .

I can easily foresee that, as I get older and subject to more physical restrictions, I will want and need, more and more, to take advantage of the computer’s ability to connect me with the outside world, both physical and intellectual. This will be a Blessing. But, like many things in life, there will be a significant challenge to be faced – how to use this Blessing without succumbing to the Curse.