As I sat on a train traveling home I looked around at my fellow passengers. Something they weren’t doing. They all had their heads bowed in reverence to their smartphones.

Okay; looking around a carriage or staring out of the window as London suburbia flashed past wasn’t the most riveting experience. I guess you could say this was a metaphor - with your head in your phone you could be missing your live wiz past. 

I did notice something new. The number of churches, chapels, halls, and ex factories, predominantly from the Victorian era there are. Some, especially the factories are now office spaces and apartments. Maybe a weird thing to notice.

My point is I wouldn’t have peaked my curiosity and engaged my brain had I followed the crowd. A couple sitting opposite me were each captivated by their screens, scrolling through whatever social media app or site had grabbed them. You might expect me to say they were youngsters, but they weren’t. Not as old as me maybe but still people who would not have grown up with these engrossing pieces of tech. I’m not say they would most likely have been eagerly chatting to each other,but they were oblivious to their partner. When the woman dozed off and rested her head on his shoulder he didn’t acknowledge it. Not a sideways glance or wry smile. Which, to me, was a shame.

How much of our lives are we missing? How many personal experiences are we giving up to the lure of watching a curated snapshot of other people’s lives?

That’s without considering the affect of seeing apparent perfect lives and comparing them to our existence.

It’s common I think to hear that there is no time to switch off and to reflect. A good period during the long days of summer is first thing in the morning. Absorb some rays, banish the last of the sleep hormones and produce some vitamin D. Instead of picking up the phone, step outside. Take your cup of coffee or tea, bowl of cereal, slice of toast outside. Listen to the first birdsong, hopefully the sound of traffic won’t be too intrusive.

And take a deep breath before the madness of the day starts.