In the Movie “Up in the Air” George Clooney’s character Ryan Bingham is constantly on a plane.  He is trying to earn 10M sky miles for being a prestigious frequent flier.  He is avoiding his family, not creating friends and basically living in isolation.

He downsizes Companies for a living.  In one of the talks he gave to a person he was firing was, “Kids love athletes because they follow their dreams.” It is hard to believe this life was the life he dreamed of as a kid.

What is Technology doing for us today?  Are we basically using it to have contact with the people we want or to avoid contact all together?

Ryan Bingham  is stuck in his ways.  He loves the air and when he goes back to his apartment there isn’t any color.  It is sterile and less decorated than the places he visits.  It isn’t home by any means.  But when he discovers what true happiness is he decides to go after it. SPOILER ALERT: He is thrown a loop because the woman he is interested in is married with two kids.

With Skype available and all the social networks.  One of his quotes in the movie was, “I don’t think a Myspace page requires you to rewire an entire company up in the air.” Which has me thinking?  With  social media and companies adapting.  Skype could be used to seriously alter someone’s life.  Will there be the one on one contact which we used to have before we became hyper connected?

He ends the movie with this voice-over, “Tonight, most people will be welcomed home by jumping dogs and squealing kids. Their spouses will ask about their day, and tonight they’ll sleep. The stars will wheel forth from their daytime hiding places and one of those lights, slightly brighter than rest, will by my wingtip passing over.”

Do you use technology as an escape? Do you use it to weed out people you don’t want in your life? Do you hide behind it?  Is it part of your dreams or are you just along for the ride?