A friend emailed me about a disturbing commercial promoting multi-tasking as a good thing. The ad showed a professional ballet dancer, touting the fact that she could take photos and post them to a blog, all while being on stage during a performance. In my friend’s words:
"It was the equivalent of air brushing models’ photos to make them look perfect so the rest of us feel guilty about not looking so good. If this young soul really was doing all that stuff while she should have been focused on her performance…I’d like to know if she still has a job after the ballet’s director sees the ad.
I don’t doubt the need to manage multiple priorities these days, but focus while executing any particular task is so essential. For a dancer to boast about clicking photos, text messaging & blogging & posting photos to a site all while her performance is going on, even if she’s temporarily in the wings…what on earth is this supposed to mean? What’s the message?"
He went on to describe a scene with a thirty-something family member, visiting from out of town:
"Eva was trying to visit with us while nonstop text messaging, taking any call that came in, playing with our dog & changing stations on the TV with the remote control. The visit was terrible."
As technology has given us the ability to be in more than one place at the same time, we have forgotten to be present to what is in front of us, in the moment. It’s no different when I become obsessed with being the photographer at family gatherings, rather than enjoying the company of those I love.
A better life starts with mindfulness–being present to whatever is in front of you, and responding in a human way.
Posted in Digital World, Ideas for a Better Life