Incorporating technology into friendship in a balanced way

One of the things I think we've lost in friendships is the value of not being preoccupied when spending time with someone: not checking text messages to communicate with someone else while having a conversation, not absent-mindedly attempting to do homework on your laptop while half-watching a movie with friends, not listening to headphones every time you walk to class in the morning. Even now I am typing this post as I am with friends as they have a power hour to classic 90s songs of our childhood because I have much more to do for finals week but want to at least be in the presence of friends before leaving for Paris next semester.

However, earlier tonight, I put down my phone, as did most of my work friends, and we sat on the couch and watched a video of us from our once-a-semester giant night together of dancing, drinks, food, and fun. I thought about how maybe it was lame that we were watching a video of ourselves from just a couple of weeks ago, and did we really need a video in the first place? Is part of the thrill of the once-a-semester just that - that besides pictures, we don't have any way to look back on it other than memories, so we look forward to the next one that much more?

Then I realized that it didn't matter if it was "lame" or not to watch a video of ourselves being goofy because the video itself brought us together. At least 20 people showed up in the middle of finals week to watch the 20-minute video all together as a group and laugh together about it. Some people had three exams the next day, I had a paper due at midnight that wasn't finished, but we all deemed it important to come be together for a short while and watch that video our friend had filmed, edited, and burned onto a disc.

So even though I hate it when my friends are texting other friends while trying to have a legitimate conversation with me at the same time - and I hate it when I do the same thing to my friends - I have to admit that technology and our generation's obsession with it is not all bad, and as much as it can separate people from each other, it can bring people together, develop friendship, and spark joy just as much.