Connected, but to what?

Park Wi-Fi nice, but it’s not really the point

In today’s society, what characteristic seems to be almost universally desired in products, services and experiences? Inexpensive? Reliable? Powerful? Simple? If we were to guess, we’d bet people want convenience most of all.

Indeed, one could argue many of us have become spoiled by our expectation of convenience in our fast-paced world. Who can wait 20 minutes for a custom-made pizza? We want it waiting for us.

Why brew coffee when we can get a cup someone else made for us at Starbucks, and in the drive-through, no less?

Municipalities have spent millions of dollars to pump clean, affordable Beaver Lake water into our homes so that with a flip of a lever, it flows easily out of our tap. Pretty convenient, but isn’t it even more so to just grab a bottle of water from the fridge? Americans use about 50 billion water bottles a year because they’re easy.

Easy, fast and immediate. That’s become an American standard.

The city of Fayetteville delivered on convenience with the announcement the other day that, through its telecommunications contract with Cox Communication, free public WiFi is now available in locations across the city. The city announced 10 new locations where people can connect: Bryce Davis Park: Gary Hampton Softball Complex: Lake Fayetteville: Veterans Memorial Park; Gulley Park; Wilson Park; Walker Park; Kessler Mountain Regional Park; Dickson Street Parking; and the Spring Street Parking Garage.

We live in an age of connection — technological, if not interpersonal. Most people carry devices wherever they go. And without a doubt, these new Wi-Fi locations will prove handy for the many residents who make use of these amenities. Mayor Lioneld Jordan has said, admirably, that his goal is making progress toward closing the gap of access. In other words, our communities can ill afford in the 21st century to have people whose potential is limited because they have significantly less access to the Internet.

Some people poo-poo such notions, but it’s a legitimate concern. Think of how many services are available through Internet connections. Think, too, how much more thorough a student can be in his homework if he can access the world at home, and how limiting a lack of access would be. We appreciate the efforts to make broadband access affordable and available.

But, when it comes to these parks, a word of advice: Sometimes, leave the devices at home.

Community parks are places where neighbors can reconnect with nature or build relationships through events like recreational sporting activities. Sometimes it’s just good to lay back in the grass or in a hammock and listen to the wind and the laughter of nearby children on the playground equipment.

Devices, for all their benefits, can also make us feel disconnected from the stuff that really matters: relationships with other people and with the world around us. The entrancing draw of the screen can be addictive, to the point that we fail to appreciate what nature has provided.

Being glued to a device while visiting a park is like blaring a radio while floating down the Buffalo River, or reading a book at a baseball game. It’s not that those things are bad. But they can diminish the refreshment of the soul that being outdoors can provide.

Yes, enjoy the complimentary WiFi, by all means. But there are far better reasons for visiting a beautiful park.