They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Today, it may be more accurate to say a picture is worth ten thousand likes.
This picture really does say it all. On February 2nd this road sign went up in Stockholm, Sweden. Of course it was a gimmick. It was put up by Swedish artists, to warn pedestrians not to endanger themselves when absorbed in their pocket-sized device which contains everything in the world (well…except for the life that is taking place around you, without you, and possibly that car which is about to hit you). But admit it, in your heart of hearts you thought this sign "could" have been real. That is where humanity is holding.
In a conference I attended last week about technology in the workplace, Tristan Harris, the "Product Philosopher" at Google (possibly the coolest job title I have ever come across!), and co-founder of ethical technology movement Time Well Spent, suggested that we need to manage our relationship with technology.
What is the solution to the bombardment of distraction in this information revolution? The suggestion was that we need more balance in our interaction with technology. He pondered "what if our technology had more “Shabbat” in it?" What if there were some agreement between consumers that there would be order, structure, and agreed upon principles with regards to our technological devices and how we use (and not abuse) them. What was meant, is that Shabbat is a shared cultural agreement to disconnect at once, and that aims to bring us all together, amongst other things. Aside from its digital detox effect it invites human interaction and companionship, concepts fast losing relevance in the digital age. What if we could create a “cultural traffic light” of coordinated expression, where people agree to put down their devices at certain times or places, thereby allowing us to come up for breath every now and again (or at least when we cross the road!).
One day a week tech-free is needed now more than ever. And what we need during the week, is to bring a sense of Shabbat into our use of technology.
