More To Life Than Technology: Why We Won’t Get Bored of Board Games

Welcome to the 21st Century. I challenge you to take a walk down the street at a busy time, perhaps around rush hour, and try and find someone who isn’t on their phone. Whether they’re chatting to a friend, texting their dad, messaging their SO, or checking their Facebook while waiting for the bus, technology is everywhere. If I asked you to walk down that same street 15 years ago, it would be a very different scene, with people talking to each other instead of through a screen.

Technology is Beneficial

Technology develops so rapidly it’s hard to keep up with the progress. What iPhone model are we on now, the iPhone 3000!? Developments happen so quickly, when you take a step back and consider how far the world has come in terms of technological advancements, it is quite striking. Technology and communications benefit the world’s population in so many ways; there is no denying that. However, if we look at it on a smaller level, when was the last time you spoke to your friend instead of texting them? Do you look for cafes displaying the “free wi-fi” logo or the ones that have the best coffee for a long catch up and board games available to play for fun?

Fear of missing out (on life)

As fantastic as it is to be able to communicate with family and friends in the touch of a button, there are numerous things we miss out on. If you’ve been to a music gig, you’ll have no doubt at some point had your view blocked by a super-fan who insists on holding their phone up to record everything in a video that will be uploaded to Facebook and Instagram to make their friends jealous, and then never looked at again.

While technology does have its uses, I’m confident that particular gig-goer would have had a much more meaningful time had they just soaked up the experience without the device in their hands. It’s good to take a step back sometimes and look at your day through your own eyes rather than your phones eyes. If you’ve got an evening planned with your friends, go to enjoy the laughs, jokes, and time together, rather than insisting everyone leaves their snazzy cocktails alone until you’ve taken the perfectly angled snap for Instagram.

Hands-free: Put the Phone Down

Quality time with family and friends is something we must make the most of while we can. You have the power to limit the use of technology while meeting with your favorite people. Next time you arrange to spend time together, a quiz night or evening of board games is a brilliant way to bring back the conversation. Have a retro board game evening, unscramble words  and have fun together, leaving the phones, TVs and computers out of the equation. You never know, you might even enjoy yourself! By ignoring your devices, you notice the people around you more, make memories and realise you’re out here having fun for yourself rather than trying to convince others that you are.