How did we ever get by before Google Maps and Waze? I ask myself that question every time I travel, grateful for the feminine voice that guides me through the labyrinth of unfamiliar streets to reach my destination. Back when the earth was young, travelers managed just fine with paper maps. But in this brave new world, it's hard to imagine successfully finding our way without the help of GPS.

Online navigation is not the only automotive novelty of recent years. Headlights now turn themselves on and off. Dashboard icons alert us when we're low on gas. Automated steering systems yank us back into the lane when we begin to drift. Warning bells screech with escalating intensity when we don't buckle up. Some cars even operate driverless.

All this technology does what it's meant to do: Make our lives safer, easier and more convenient. But is it possible that we've let it go too far?

A few days into our vacation abroad, my wife began directing me from the passenger seat moments before the same directions were issued from Lady GPS. (Now I had two women telling me where to go.)

After traversing the same routes to and from our Airbnb, my wife had learned her way around as a passenger. Meanwhile, I had surrendered so completely to the computer that I had no idea where I was or where I was going.

Modern conveniences are fine until they render us incapable of fending for ourselves. Once that happens, learned helplessness leaves us unfocused, unconfident and increasingly irresponsible.

That's why the best news I've heard in a long while is the new trend emerging among Gen Z, which is this week's addition to the Ethical Lexicon:

Friction-maxxing | noun

Intentionally choosing less convenient, analog, or slower options to combat tech-induced cognitive fatigue and build tolerance for discomfort.

Rejecting GPS in favor of analog navigation is just one example. Others include cooking from scratch, reading paper books and using cash instead of credit cards. Some young people choose to disable autopay, take the stairs rather than the elevator, park farther from their destinations, or return to physical alarm clocks to break early morning phone addiction upon waking up. A little extra effort dispels device-induced brain fog and promotes healthy gray matter.

Some Gen-Z actually schedule time to be bored. But moments of stillness, meditation and self-reflection need not be dull. Once we wean ourselves off the dopamine buzz that comes from phone addiction, time by ourselves quiets the mind and spirit in a way that is revitalizing and uplifting.

Another example of friction-maxxing is seeking out real human interaction. In one study, Professor Nicholas Epley and PhD student Juliana Schroeder asked Chicago bus and train commuters to strike up conversations with strangers. Those who did reported enjoying their ride more than those who sat in solitude.

So why do we resist reaching out to strangers? Ironically, we convince ourselves that we need to respect others' privacy, even though they may be yearning for connection as much as we are. Instead, we pull out our phones to distract ourselves from our own isolation, discouraging others from reaching out to us as we tighten the cocoon that insulates us from them.

And that is tragic. Because the ultimate source of human happiness is connection — to individuals, to community, to something greater than ourselves. Indeed, the very effort required to create and maintain human relationships is part of what makes those relationships rewarding; it also boosts our confidence and our sense of self-worth.

When I was newly married, after yet another episode of bickering with my wife over nothing important, I complained to my rabbi about the tension that continuously invaded my home. I've never forgotten his answer, decades before Carol Dweck popularized the term "growth mindset":

"Without friction, nothing moves."

There's a reason why we need to get out of our comfort zones. Adding a bit of friction to our lives spares us from apathy, complacency and intolerance for inconvenience. Reclaim mastery over your actions and direction to make your days happier and your years far more productive.

See more by Yonason Goldson and features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists; visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Brian Wangenheim at Unsplash