Butch Says Disconnect . . . to Connect!!!

   I was driving on Creasy Lane in Lafayette last week when I noticed that a tire on my SUV was going flat. Fortunately there was a tire shop nearby. The tire had a large bolt in it and could not be repaired. The fellow checked my other tires, stated that they had seen better days, and strongly suggested a new set of four…at a cost of over $1,100. Great! Well, I knew it was time, so I bit the bullet and told him to go ahead. The waiting room was full, so I grabbed a magazine and settled in for a long wait.

  As I looked around at the other customers, I noticed that all of the people were sitting there looking down at their phones . . . with one exception. One young lady was typing away on her laptop. I have seen the same thing happen at restaurants and other places. Before cell phones were around, these same people might have struck up a conversation with each other.

   Another thing I have noticed lately is that instead of calling someone, many people just text or E-mail a message. Why? Wouldn’t they rather hear someone’s voice? People today seem to be connecting through technology, and just plain skipping the real life connections or one-on-one, face-to-face conversations.

  According the recent studies, there is an epidemic of loneliness in our country, with over 50 per cent of the population feeling lonely much of the time. And it’s not just older people, it also includes high school and college students! People are more “connected” digitally on devices, but spend very little time in person to person interactions. I know a lady who lives alone, and she texts and E-mails several people every day, but rarely leaves her home. She has become socially isolated. You would think that her constant digital communication with others would be good for her mental health, but quite the opposite. Her health has deteriorated, and she suffers from anxiety and depression. She is lonely.

   Coming from a small town, I remember when people were socially active and had strong personal relationships before all of this technology appeared on the scene. They gathered at the restaurant, ice cream shop, barbershop, gas stations, etc. and talked to each other. People knew their neighbors. They participated in various clubs and organizations. They shared hobbies. They established hundreds of connections with others in the community. And people actually talked to everyone, including strangers. The people back then did not come home from work and seclude themselves up in their homes each evening like many do nowadays. And the result was that very few people were lonely back in the day.

   Experts believe that today’s social isolation and resulting loneliness has reached epidemic proportions . . . worse than rates of obesity, worse than the rates of diabetes. It can also result in increased chances of dementia, heart disease and stroke. It is estimated that feeling constantly lonely has the same effect on a person’s health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day!

  Yes, it’s time. Shut off the computer. Shut off your cellphone. Close your iPad and laptop. Turn off the TV . . . visit your neighbor. Be with your friends and family. Join a club or organization. Share your hobby with others. Attend community events . . . talk to people . . . IN PERSON!!! Do it now. You will be glad you did.

John “Butch” Dale is a retired teacher and County Sheriff. He has also been the librarian at Darlington the past 36 years, and is a well-known artist and author of local history.