As we gain, we lose

After spending the last 20 years traveling for business, it never occurred to me that I would look back fondly at the pre-smartphone era of the early 2000's. While business travel can be draining and tedious, there has always been inherent excitement that accompanies it—a shared camaraderie between travelers, regardless of whether they were on the move for a wedding, business meeting, or ball game. I can distinctly remember exchanging "War Eagle'' greetings with fellow Auburn fans as clearly as I can envision an impeccably dressed businesswoman happily assisting my wife and I with our car seats, strollers and straggling children.  

With the mass adoption of cell phones, so much of this experience has been replaced by staring mindlessly at a screen or gingerly clutching a phone like a baby bird, waiting to chirp, beep or buzz. While scrolling media and crushing candy might be more interesting than standing on a conveyor belt, displaying courtesy and being aware of your surroundings or huddling up to watch a ball game, the overarching experience is significantly worse. Technology is amazing, but is it necessary to be omnipresent?  

I have no solution, but am sad, nonetheless and feel that the more we gain, the more we lose.