“He was the most handsome man I’d ever seen.”
Let’s face it, anybody can say anything online; that doesn’t make it true. There are entire companies devoted to combatting online lies. Drug and alcohol addiction are huge problems in modern society, but another insidious addiction has also changed the way many people live and work. It’s the addiction to smartphones and, particularly, social media, where they face truth and lies.
No one can deny the entertainment, convenience and business value of smartphones. They offer everything from the latest browsers, maps and news to weather, calculators and easy reservations. But how important to production is social media? According to Omnicore, people spend an average of 34 minutes a day on Facebook alone. And what about Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, webinars, podcasts, admiring influencers and on and on?
Escape from your notifications for a few days of Yosemite hiking.
Perhaps your company is in the business of getting clients on social media. Okay, you have a reason to spend hours on those platforms. But the rest of us need to guard against an addiction that has changed the way we communicate. People, particularly the younger generation, seem lost without their smartphones. They walk down the street browsing, eat at a restaurant while checking their phones, glance down at a stoplight while driving to make sure they haven’t missed anything.
Enough! There’s no substitute for human connection. Even FaceTime or Zoom calls aren’t the same as interacting in person. Our corporate wellness retreats particularly stress the value of reconnecting with the natural world, both figuratively and literally. Our retreat specialists lead adventures ranging from expeditions into Yosemite National Park to educational introductions to San Francisco from the local’s point of view and private trips through Napa Valley led by a sommelier.
Think of it as reenergizing your staff, realigning your employees’ brains to allow them to find a balance between social media and the real world. Imagine that dazed look is because they remember seeing the Milky Way up close and personal while relaxing around a cozy campfire in Yosemite, not because they’re zoned out on their smartphones.
What a concept. Call us to learn about these and other corporate retreats from San Francisco.
ben hughes
Todd Trapani