MODERN STRATEGY
Are you addicted to
the distraction drug?
By Michael McQueen
A
September 2015 tweet from
Wall Street Journal columnist
The Jason Gay was one of
the funniest I read last year: ‘There’s
a guy in this coffee shop sitting at
a table, not on his phone, not on a
laptop, just drinking coffee, like a
psychopath.’
While tongue in cheek, the reality is
that it is increasingly rare to be in any
public setting and not look around
you only to discover that everyone in
your surrounds is glued to a screen.
I had an experience recently where
12 ModernBusiness
September 2016
I realized my own susceptibility
in this regard. I was on Hamilton
Island speaking at a conference and
upon checking into my room, came
across a tourism flyers in the hotel
compendium urging the reader to
experience the ‘world famous sunrise’
from Passage Peak. “The views are
breathtaking and the experience
unforgettable” the brochure assured
me.
And so I set my alarm for 4.35am
the next morning, threw on some
exercise clothes and headed out of
the hotel to find the marked rainforest
path that led up the mountain’s side.
45-minutes later I stumbled out of
the bush onto the rocky ledge at the
summit of Passage Peak and my
breath was taken away immediately.
The horizon was radiating with a deep
pre-sunrise orange glow and I sat
down to watch as the sun rose over
the Whitsundays.
Naturally, I had bought my
smartphone with me to capture
the moment and, having taken a
number stunning panoramic shots,
it occurred to me that I should post
one to Facebook. After all, if it isn’t