On "Being Alone Together"

I live with my best friend and we have retained quite a lot of lifestyle qualities from our past-Santa Cruz-college-punk experience. One of those is kinda anti-super-social-network-overexposure-to-other-humans-technology.

My best friend coined the term "being alone together". 

Everyone is listening to their music, doing shit on their kindles and ipads and smart phones. Connecting to other humans WHILE THEY ARE CURRENTLY WITH OTHER HUMANS.

How much of our real life is being impacted by our virtual and technological lives?

That girl who gave you a compliment on your dress at the airport - did you hear her? Oh wait, no, you were listening to your music. That cyclist who needs to pass you on the left who is screaming at you that they are passing on the left...oh, you didn´t hear them cause you have an ipod in. Hopefully you´d hear an AMBULANCE on it´s way to go save a freakin person.

When you were hanging out at that fun bar, on your phone tweeting that you were at said bar, did you even notice that cute boy having a glass of wine and reading? The cute girl scribbling on a piece of paper and chatting with the bartender?

When you were at CicLAvia in Los Angeles,  on your beach cruiser, with your 2 girlfriends, WHY THE FUCK ARE YOU ALL PULLING OUT YOUR SMART PHONES!!! YOU ARE ON A CITY-WIDE BIKE RIDE IN LOS ANGELES!!!

What about the person who wants to ask you the time...or give you a compliment...or ask where the bus stop is...or needs help...do you see that person? Hear them?

Are people happy "being alone together"?  I don´t know, but it´s not for me.