Together, But Not Really

Together, But Not Really

There is no time for writing letters and making phone calls when people are living in the fast lane.  So it comes as no surprise that: “31% of U.S. adults prefer to be reached by text message” (Mashable Tech.com, by Zoe Fox).  Some people even prefer to text instead of talk to the person they are sitting next to.  People want text messages so that they can avoid getting stuck in a conversation they don’t want to be in.  It could be because they don’t have the time to chat or because they have other things going on.  In the picture, all of those teens are together, but they aren’t.  Cell phones, computers, ipads, Kindles, social networking sites, Skype, etc. have made conversations easier, yet harder.  Today teenagers don’t call each other; they send texts.  Relationships have become more superficial.  Most teenagers’ just text to each other about what is happening ‘in the now.’  Since people talk this way, they not only lack depth in conversations, but they also don’t get to know the other person.  People also have facebook and twitter accounts with hundreds of friends and followers, when in reality, they only have a couple of close friends who they know well.  Technology may have helped people connect with one another but it hasn't helped them know one another better. 

Conversations are becoming more about the technology than about being interested in the other person.  Social networking is "all about me".  People want to share what they are doing at the moment and they like seeing what other people are doing, but this is a poor substitute to having a conversation.

 If we didn’t have technology like we have today, our lives would be completely different.  The technology that we have today gives us the opportunity to talk to people in multiple ways.  However, if we didn’t have technology, people would have more conversations face to face, which could help real relationships’ last longer.

http://mashable.com/2011/09/19/31-of-u-s-adults-prefer-to-be-reached-by-text-message-study/