A Connected Yet Disconnected World

• Cameron Latta, Grade 9, St John The Evangelist High School
• Short Story
• 2015

Excellence Award in the 'The Write Track 2015' competition

The old man, Lindsay, sat there in confusion staring at the line of people at the bus stop all on their phones. This did not surprise him as he sees this every day but arose questions. What are they doing? Why don’t they talk to each other? These questions hung over him for a long time, day after day he would ponder whilst flicking through the crisp, fresh pages of his newspaper.

These questions finally got the better of him and he found the courage to ask someone. He approached a young man and said “Why is everyone on their phones?”
The man looked blankly at him and said “this is how things work these days, you can connect with the world through a single device”
Lindsay shot a response back surprised at the defensive nature of the young man “But you aren't talking to anyone so wouldn't that make you disconnected?”
The man deflected the thought from his mind and stepped forward to board the bus that was approaching.

The next day the old man was there again, and the next. Finally the young man, Mike, thought about what he said and as little as he wanted to admit it he did seem to know what he was talking about but mike couldn't seem to get his head around the fact of life with no mobile phone or using it very little. The next day Mike struck up a conversation with Lindsay in curiosity of what he will have to say today. Lindsay talked about how when he was young they used to talk face to face to each other. Mike found what he was saying interesting so each day Mike would listen and find that Lindsay had a point.

One day Lindsay didn't turn up, and mike wondered where he was, so mike asked the bus driver when he arrived as he knew they were good friends. The bus driver sighed and told mike that he went in his sleep.

Mike thought of everything that Lindsay had said about the world being disconnected and he found that they were withdrawing from the community rather than being more connected. The next day mike walked to the bus stop with an open mind he saw people all over the streets with mobile phone in hand. The whole bus stop was silent and no one to talk to. He approached and asked someone and the bus stop and asked “Why is everyone on their phones?”

Lindsay had shown Mike that a single person can change someone’s life or perspective of life forever.