Connect, Disconnect or Both?

Does all the new technology connect or disconnect us or does it depend...?

I got on the subway this morning and saw no less than twenty-two Blackberrys, iPods, Gameboys, Kindles, electronic phones and organizers. Many people were listening to music - sometimes audibly from five feet away. My thought was, "setting themselves up for hearing loss later," and then I felt very old for even thinking it. People were watching movies, playing games and starting their day of work on these tiny devices. Fascinating! There was little interaction with anyone else on the subway car, like looking around, making faces at a fussy baby in a carriage. Disconnect. But many were savoring their activities. Connect.

Social media is much the same way. I babysat for my cousin's new baby this afternoon, just four months old and very sweet. He and his wife met on eHarmony, fell in love, married and have a beautiful little girl together. They would never have met because they don't move in the same circles but, through online dating, they connected in a profound way.

The world is now much smaller as we can reach people across the nation, in other countries, cultures and ethnic and religious traditions, etc. Since not understanding people who are different sometimes leads straight into anger or fear, the possibility in online conversations is to learn to appreciate the commonalities between people of all backgrounds. Families, Love, Work, Community, Beliefs and more. Connect. At the same time, if I spend all my time talking online on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, and my computer interactions keep me from participating in my own life - Disconnect.

This Talking Tall blog has become a very profound connection vehicle for me to express curious thoughts, quirky reflections, passionate convictions, ongoing conversations. Connect. But I can spend hours here, lost in this new world, eagerly learning what I didn't know. Disconnect. Both...