Do your children and grandchildren complain about feeling rushed and overwhelmed by all they have to do? Are they constantly on their electronic devices so they’ll feel connected instead of looking up to interact with you face-to-face?
From the need to be constantly connected and the changing definition of “work hours,” to unrealistic expectations of instant gratification, our bodies and brains are being harmed by habits that, as with any kind of addiction, promise short-term satisfaction while doing long-term damage.
Psychologist, author and addiction expert Dr. Stephanie Brown sees firsthand the impact of ever-faster technology and the culture it has spawned. She knows it’s affecting us mentally, physically, and spiritually.
I spoke with Stephanie recently in my “Conversations with Modern Grandmas” podcast about the subject of her latest book, which addresses the problem: Speed: Facing Our Addiction to Fast and Faster–And Overcoming Our Fear of Slowing Down.
She and I share the same concern: our addictions to technology, the fast pace of life and the loss of face-to-face connection are threatening to undermine the importance of the human attachment bond, the necessity of a slow enough pace, and our grandchildren’s healthy development.
After Stephanie spoke to our GaGa Sisterhood in 2014, she and I began hosting some focus groups to hear what grandmas are observing about the impact of our fast-paced society on our children and grandchildren.
We grandmas may be the last generation to have lived a truly slow-paced life. We need to share those memories with our grandchildren and model that behavior so they can appreciate that we don’t have to be “connected” to electronics all the time — even if it’s just for an hour.
Listen to my podcast with Stephanie Brown describe how the drive for speed is an addiction impacting our culture and our relationships with our grandchildren. She offers suggestions on how we grandmas can start noticing it in ourselves and then finding ways to help our children and grandchildren to slow down.
