Louisville, Ky., the headquarters for Club Solutions Magazine, is home to many things, including horses, bourbon and college basketball. However, those three things not only describe Louisville, but also pretty much describe the state as a whole. As you move east in the state, you might add coal to the equation, but the first three are still highly prevalent.
In our state we hold college basketball in a high regard. We love, and hate, our players, as well as our coaches. The former University of Kentucky head ball coach, Rick Pitino, now coaches the University of Louisville, and Coach John Calipari coaches his former school, UK. What the two men, and the schools, have in common is a tradition of winning, and winning big. The two schools together possess 25 NCAA Final Four appearances and 11 National Champions. Those are numbers that the state of Kentucky takes very seriously.
Sometimes, the best thing about having such great coaches in your state is the opportunity to hear from said coaches and learn on your way to work. This morning, as I was driving to the office, Coach Pitino was being interviewed on his new book “The One Day Contract.”
The new book has a section on technology, which he discussed with the radio host during my drive. His main point was that our youth are addicted to technology in similar ways people are addicted to tobacco and alcohol. Although the comparisons aren’t as frightening to one’s health, we’ve seen steady inclines in vehicle-related accidents due to texting. However, that’s not the immediate concern for Pitino.
He believes that the worst aspect of our addiction to technology, as a younger generation, actually will be the demise of our future success. He explained that we are so addicted to our phones, tablets and other devices, that we can no longer focus on the task at hand. He even went as far to say that it’s almost impossible for younger couples to sit and watch a movie together without checking their tablet or phone.
Health club owners have seen this addiction first hand from their employees and members over the past five or more years. Not everyone is as extreme, but I saw a Tweet yesterday from a friend complaining about the person sitting on a leg machine texting, and then doing three reps, then texting again. Her point was that she couldn’t use the machine because he was using it as his own personal office or social lounge.
I can personally attest to almost falling off of a treadmill trying to change the song on my iPhone while running. I’ve never fully fallen off, but I’ll admit to coming close.
In the past couple of weeks I’ve been walking into, or out of the gym, and had the receptionist not even notice me because they were too involved with their phones to see me coming or going. I’m not saying it bothers me, but what I am saying is that I see the coach’s point.
Technology is great. It allows us to obtain information at a rapid pace, connect with people around the world at any time and even consume entertainment through audio and video on the go. However, the inability to disconnect has become the issue. People feel like they need social interaction at all times. They can’t even take a simple drive to the store or gym without making a phone call, sending a text or surfing a social media platform.
First off, it’s not safe for people to play with devices while driving. Second, if we don’t learn to disconnect from our technology we will become more addicted and unable to enjoy the “real” aspects of life. I challenge you today to take 30 minutes away from technology. It’s going to be hard to avoid technology around you, but my challenge is for personal technology. Put the phone down, don’t check the iPad and spend some time in meditation, conversation or fitness without being interrupted. Maybe try going to lunch with a friend and leaving the devices in the car.
My 30-minute challenge may not seem like much, but trust me, I bet it’s a lot harder than you may think.
Tyler Montgomery is the editor of Club Solutions Magazine. Contact him at tyler@clubsolutionsmagazine.com.
