Looking around in today’s world it surely makes one wonder if we’re slowly becoming a society of Zombies.  While texting or playing on one’s smart phone is okay every once in awhile, the addictive qualities is quite high.  More recently, it seems that there is a real withdrawal when many people are not on their cell phones or left it at home while going shopping.  In 2008, British researchers came with the term, Nomophobia (the anxiety when one doesn’t have access to mobile technology), and the first clinic dealing with it opened up in California.

The mindlessness of people walking (or even driving) around while texting has shown it can be quite dangerous at times.  Accidents may not be as funny as that lady, who fell into a fountain in mall….

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGpVpsaItpU]

….they can end up quite serious and even deadly.  We see this especially when people are texting and driving.  Back in August, a Texas man sent a text message while driving that stated, “I need to quit texting, because I could die in a car accident.”  He then drove off a cliff at the same time he sent the text.  Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2012/08/05/man-texts-about-needing-to-stop-texting-then-drives-off-a-cliff/#ixzz2Dik4q9cB

We are so zoned-out as a society and it’s not just texting either.  People are mindless when it comes to eating.  We see this when some of them will sit in front of a TV set with a bag of chips.  Heck, they have no idea that they are reaching into the bag, grabbing several chips and stuffing their mouths.  They may look at that bag later and wonder where all the chips went.

Zombie society is fast approaching.  The surest way to stop yourself from being caught up in this phenomena is to take a break every once a while from texting or being controlled by technology and start engaging in meaningful conversations.  If you’re going to use your phone, then make a call and talk, not text.

Become more mindful of things around you.  Open up your awareness.  Meditation is a great tool to help your mind in this regard.  Reclaim your humanness.

Bob