Do Twitter, Phone Apps, Technology Undermine Our Sense of Reality?

Lately, we've been bombarded with an assortment of new technology that allows us to delve further into media culture. Facebook certainly isn't new, but along with Twitter, we are never far away from knowing what our friends are doing. Phones, meanwhile, make sure that we are never uninformed. Not only do they allow us to further keep track of social media, by going on those websites wherever we are, but a slew, almost infinite amount, of apps make sure that we always have something to do. Combine all that with texting, television, and internet in general, it seems like we are always tuned into something. Of course, these apps and features are great. It's great to know what your friends are up to, or to have instant access to information or other people when necessary. However, lately a trend toward complete technology overload seems to take over some people and keep them out of the real world.

Of course this does not apply to everyone, and for those who understand moderation, all of these are great, wonderful tools. How often, however, have you had a conversation with someone, and it constantly gets interrupted by a text on their phone? Nothing wrong with that, at first, but what if their text conversation continues for the better part of an hour? Of course, this is their prerogative, but it does seem much simpler to make a quick five- to 10-minute call, where all information is quickly expressed, and get on with existing in the real world. Otherwise, being constantly in tune via an informal communication service seems absurd when a real conversation is going on.

How about the people who constantly play games on their phone, at work, class, or just walking between places? What about the people who must find a computer right away so that they could check Facebook or Twitter? Or the people who have to read all the latest FML, Texts From Last Night, My Life is Average, and Lamebook posts, in that order...daily? Or those people who just have to watch the latest episode of their show? All of these things serve as welcome distractions, at times humorous, at times informative. Sometimes we just want to use our phone to check something on Wikipedia, or find a word in the dictionary app. However, when these things are combined into a unified experience, as they are for many people these days, what we have are people trapped in an unreal world, who only look away from the TV to check their computers or phones. And nothing these days is free from it. Even a simple walk in the park can be interrupted by your wife's phone ringing, or her constant texting. A serious conversation with a friend might turn sour as you notice that he must use Shazaam to figure what song is playing on the radio. As he rifles through his apps, you realize his mind is no longer in the same world as the one in which you're speaking to him.

I'd like to know your thoughts on this. We're all guilty of it to some extent, but that's OK, as long as we understand moderation. It's when we forget, and for me, when the people I know forget, that it bothers me most.