High-tech life taking hefty toll

There's a popular Chinese saying that has been circulated online recently, which sums up the toll technology has taken on our personal relationships: "The furthest distance in the world is not between life and death, but between you and me as you play with your cellphone."

A recent news story recounting a family reunion, whereby the grandfather prepared meals for his visiting grandchildren, sums up how disastrous the impact of technology can be.

Eager to catch up with his grandchildren, the elderly man found they were all gazing into their laps fiddling with their cellphones. Irate, he stormed away from the table and smashed a plate in fury.

Cellphones, e-mail and online social networking have shortened the distance between people, but not necessarily brought people closer together.

Since Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876, face-to-face communication has gradually waned. In 2012, it remains even more endangered due to the rise in popularity of smartphones.

Our lives have changed dramatically due to the digital age. In the past, reading a book in bed was our last pastime before going to sleep.

Now, we're more likely to scroll through our friends' updates to satisfy our addiction to social networking.

The morning newspaper has been replaced by apps on the iPad that bring us the latest news from around the world at all hours.

We used to converse with our friends while taking a bus or train, but now we are more likely to pass the time by playing games on smartphones.

Writing a letter or sending a postcard used to be how we kept in touch with friends while we were apart, but now it's far easier to snap a picture on a smartphone, upload it to a microblog and "@" our friends to get their attention.

Has technology really enriched our lives? The unfortunate thing is relying too much on virtual communication has come at the cost of our personal relationships.

Ironically, this can leave us feeling more isolated than ever.

I read a mocking prediction online that said people's hands will gradually devolve to just two giant thumbs that will allow us to send texts on our cellphones.

While tongue-in-cheek, such a predicition does hint at how obsessive society has become with staying in touch.

Thankfully, action is being taken to counter our virtual obsession. People are encouraged in some circles to switch off their cellphones before attending a dinner or party.

Some restaurants even offer a discount to customers on the bill for their meals if they surrender their cellphone before being seated.　

It would be great if such a trend caught on in Beijing, but it's unlikely. It's time people devoted their attention to the beauty and company of those around them instead of Weibo updates.