Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Missing A Connection

Technology is supposed to let us be better communicators. -You know, to get our "messages" sent and received faster and more efficiently. But I see the opposite happening. We are more isolated than ever. Today, I saw four young people walking together. Strangely, though, all of them were talking on cell phones. How can four people be "together" when none of them were willing to put down the cell phone and actually try a stimulating conversation with the people to their left and right? We've lost our ability to connect with those around us - seemingly wanting to "talk" to the next best thing.

I've known adults to do this, too. Blair is pretty bad... We'll be together with friends at dinner and he'll pull out his cell phone to check the score of a game or to send a text message to someone. It drives me nuts. I feel like I have to apologize for him - "I'm sorry, we really like being with you - but my boyfriend just has to know the score of the game at this exact moment. No, no, he's not bored by you at all." If someone did that to me, I would say something. But that's me.

Internet cafes are the worst. By definition, cafes are meant to bring people together, yet, everyone is in their own space - communicating not by voice but by an invisible Internet. How do we truly connect to one another when we have lost our voice? We are rapidly losing our ability to have human connection of any value and meaning. The more we try to connect, it seems, the more we feel lost and alone.

Don't get me wrong, I love technology; but I hate what it has done to people...
Posted by Jessie_b :: 3:37 PM :: 0 comments

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