Did Eric Schmidt Just Tell Us To Stop Using Google Products For A Time?

Eric Schmidt is posing a challenge to the new generation that’s quite a bit intriguing for a senior executive whose company becomes more successful the more people use their online services and products.

At the recent commencement exercises at the Boston University, Schmidt challenged college graduates to not lay their eyes on any type of screen – whether it be a computer, tablet or smartphone screen – for an hour each day. You get the weird thing about this now, don’t you?

Eric Schmidt, who’s now Google’s Chairman and was the CEO of the internet search and advertising giant for a decade, is telling you to not use a screen for an hour each day.

That means no Google searches, no Google+, no YouTube, and no Gmail.

According to Reuters, Schmidt said this: “Take one hour a day and turn that thing off. Take your eyes off that screen and look into the eyes of the person you love. Have a conversation, a real conversation.”

Is he saying that conversations through Gmail and Google+ are not real?

As weird as this may be coming from Schmidt, the sentiment is quite beautiful. So engrossed we can become in our cyberspace connections that some of us actually seldom find the need to connect outside of it. Go out and socialize the old fashioned way. I’m glad I do it every day.

This challenge may cause a discomfort, however, as shown by this study we reported about back in July of last year.

What do you think about Schmidt’s challenge to the younger generation? Tell us in the comments.

Source: Reuters

Image from jdlasica on Flickr (CC)

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