{"id":2218161,"date":"2024-04-11T07:41:02","date_gmt":"2024-04-11T11:41:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stop-scrolling-and-use-your-phone-to-reach-out-to-others\/"},"modified":"2024-04-11T07:44:43","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T11:44:43","slug":"stop-scrolling-and-use-your-phone-to-reach-out-to-others","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/stop-scrolling-and-use-your-phone-to-reach-out-to-others\/","title":{"rendered":"Put down your phone and connect with others"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fstop-scrolling-and-use-your-phone-to-reach-out-to-others%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2218161&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses the impact of social media on society, highlighting the diminishing\u2062 human qualities of empathy and connection \u2064in\u2062 a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/how-a-10th-century-warrior-poem-inspired-me-to-quit-social-media\/\" title=\"How A 10th-Century Warrior Poem Inspired Me To Quit Social Media\">fast-paced world<\/a>.\u2062 It emphasizes the importance of using phones for meaningful connections rather than\u2063 superficial interactions. The author encourages reaching out to others regularly to strengthen genuine relationships \u200dand combat isolation. The article delves into how social media affects society by \u2062underscoring the decline of empathy and \u2063connection in today&#8217;s hectic\u2062 world. It stresses the significance of utilizing phones for authentic interactions\u2062 over shallow \u200dengagements. The author advocates for consistent outreach\u200b to fortify real connections and alleviate feelings of isolation.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"article-content\">\n<p>Social media have been in the news of late, with several cases at the Supreme Court examining questions of censorship and the role of government in policing or regulating companies and content. But above and beyond the policy-related questions social media present, the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/media-melts-down-over-desantis-latest-action-on-colleges-panics-as-he-rises-to-top-of-gop\/\" title=\"Media Melts Down Over DeSantis\u2019 Latest Action On Colleges, Panics As He Rises To Top Of GOP\">cultural questions<\/a> seem even more profound.<\/p>\n<p>In our hyperactive, atomized world, two characteristics that make humans <em>human<\/em> seem in rather short supply: empathy and connection. While technology makes contact with millions, if not billions, of others easier than ever, those contacts also seem more superficial than ever, leaving many grasping for meaning and searching for the deeper relationships that often appear far too elusive.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2-long d-flex justify-content-center\" style=\"margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center; \" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-1411314410\">\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1379703300879-0\" class=\"mb-30\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-14fd800dca4b647d897d236a865b3460 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-2\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-14fd800dca4b647d897d236a865b3460\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Outreach in Tough Times<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>To borrow the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=4WOuXexHeoI\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">words<\/a> of the late Queen Elizabeth II, the year 2023 was \u201cnot a year on which I shall look back with undiluted pleasure. \u2026 It has turned out to be an <em>annus horribilis<\/em>.\u201d Three separate surgeries (with a fourth on the way), a flood that \u2014 while thankfully covered by insurance \u2014 made my home barely habitable for several months, the rapid collapse of what I thought would become my ideal job environment, and a <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2023\/03\/13\/obamacare-exchanges-data-breach-exposed-not-only-my-private-info-but-the-hypocrisy-of-d-c-officials\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">data breach<\/a> leading to identity theft combined to create obstacles that might have tested the patience of Job.<\/p>\n<p>But some in my social circle know not of some, or all, of these events, and might express surprise when learning of them. On the other hand, one could easily respond that not knowing comes from not taking the time to ask.<\/p>\n<p>I <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2018\/12\/20\/christmas-dont-forget-reach-struggling-friends\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wrote<\/a> at The Federalist over five years ago, just before Christmas 2018, about the need to reach out to others, particularly during the holiday season. I noted at the time that \u201cI generally reach out to my colleagues to check if they\u2019re okay, or set up a time to meet, rather than the other way around.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Those words held true then and for most of the time since. But at a certain point, the realization that one person does practically all the intentional outreach in a relationship \u2014 feeling like one has to nag or pester others for them to take an interest \u2014 can become disheartening, even demoralizing.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-e9852de5c6a5b6a2037853dab680ffdb fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-6\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-e9852de5c6a5b6a2037853dab680ffdb\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Use Phones for Good, Not Evil<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Granted, as I noted back in 2018, \u201cmany of my friends have commitments to spouses and children,\u201d which can make keeping in touch more difficult. But ultimately, the type of relationships and connections we make, and keep, has much to do with our priorities.<\/p>\n<p>As someone blessed with a keen (and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/story\/2013\/01\/ex-hill-staffer-chris-jacobs-wins-100k-on-show-086683\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">lucrative<\/a>) memory, I recognize that those with more, and more pressing, commitments can fail to reach out for the most innocent and well-meaning of reasons.<\/p>\n<p>But the ubiquitous phones we keep at our side practically every hour of the day provide a solution, if we let them. It doesn\u2019t take but a few seconds to text a close acquaintance to see how he or she is doing. And in case one becomes preoccupied with work or other commitments, a daily or weekly reminder can provide the needed prod to action.<\/p>\n<p>As a society, we can and will debate whether and how government can <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/government-cant-solve-our-cancel-culture-problem\/\" title=\"Government Can\u2019t Solve our Cancel Culture Problem\">regulate social media<\/a>, and whether and how social media can moderate content on various platforms. But wouldn\u2019t we be all better off if, instead of using our phones to engage in Twitter wars or post narcissistic selfies on Instagram, we spent a few minutes every day or every week texting to connect with the people we value most in life? Better yet, why not utilize one\u2019s phone for its original purpose, and engage in a conversation, even <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2023\/01\/02\/well\/phone-call-happiness-challenge.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a brief one<\/a>, to hear the reassuring sound of a friend\u2019s voice?<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-9dd14fb835d6cdabd1a50915910dfa00 fdrlst__b89e9-paragraph-10\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-9dd14fb835d6cdabd1a50915910dfa00\"><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>The Importance of Reaching Out<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Politically, I don\u2019t agree with Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on much. His office\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hhs.gov\/sites\/default\/files\/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">advisory on loneliness and mental health<\/a> last year often ventured into realms of big government (\u201cexamine policies across sectors, including health, education, labor, housing, transportation, and the environment,\u201d \u201cinvest in social infrastructure\u201d) and woke identity politics (\u201cdiversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility are critical components of \u2026 an overarching social connection strategy\u201d).<\/p>\n<p>But I do agree with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/magazine\/2023\/12\/18\/surgeon-general-tools-loneliness-00131734\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Murthy\u2019s call<\/a> for Americans to take a few minutes, preferably every day, but at least once a week, to reach out to others, including people they may not have connected with for weeks, months, or even years. It won\u2019t take much time, and shouldn\u2019t hurt at all.<\/p>\n<p>Restarting a conversation with someone you haven\u2019t spoken to in a while may prove slightly awkward, but from experience, that generally only lasts a few moments. More importantly, it will strengthen the social and emotional bonds that define us as humans. As a dear friend of mine observed, the strength of our community is only as strong as the commitment we make to maintaining it.<\/p>\n<p>Taking time to reconnect with others may not dramatically improve your life. But it could dramatically improve <em>someone else\u2019s life<\/em> \u2014 and that\u2019s really the point.<\/p>\n<div class=\"fdrlst__b89e9-9fb953d4c972b6b5ec1f60de78c54cd2 fdrlst__b89e9-after-post-content\" id=\"fdrlst__b89e9-9fb953d4c972b6b5ec1f60de78c54cd2\"><\/div>\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator\">    \t\t\t\t\t   \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Social media is in the spotlight with recent Supreme Court cases tackling censorship and government oversight. Beyond policy concerns, cultural implications loom large in our fast-paced, individualistic society<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":521,"featured_media":2218162,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/becca-tapert-QofjUnxy9LY-unsplash.jpeg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[546],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2218161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-federalist"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/04\/becca-tapert-QofjUnxy9LY-unsplash.jpeg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2218161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/521"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2218161"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2218161\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2218162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2218161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2218161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2218161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}