Are we just busy fools ?

Does our increasing reliance on technology mean that we are at risk of slowly and imperceptibly losing the ability to connect with each other in a real way ? In these times of technology overkill, it seems to me that we are forever communicating in the ether. I am guilty myself of checking my emails when I am supposed to be working or out with friends and I’ve noticed that it’s very uncool to be offended if someone starts texting when you are out with them and god forbid you should point out that you think its rude !

Even in these recessionary times we seem to be unable to stop for a minute of real life interaction without various gadgets beeping, vibrating or yelling at us (literally ! why would anyone have someone screaming at them as their ring tone ?)

Are we just busy fools ? In these times of Twitter, Face book and other social networking sites, what are we hoping to achieve by spending hours focusing on a screen and creating virtual relationships ? Communication is a minefield of possible misunderstandings at the best of times, take out the human element and things can quickly get out of hand. Who has not had experience of text and emails creating confusion and upset !

Recent research indicates that we are lonelier than ever, we may have 300 friends on Face book and be on line constantly, but who do we call when we need support or a giggle and a glass of wine ? Communicating on line can often appear to be more intimate and we can be lulled into revealing a lot about ourselves, yet a whole element of human interaction and code is missing. Eye contact, body language  and facial expression are crucial to how we communicate and without them we only get half the story .We also miss all the signals that may alert us that all is not right.

Human communication happens on so many levels, yet much of our new technology focuses exclusively on the written word. 

We are apparently raising a generation with a shorter attention span, primarily due to the nature of a  technology which interrupts our lives constantly  and randomly. If we don’t place limits on how and when we are available, we are in danger of feeling out of control and that our life is not our own.

There are certain times when I am out of contact: when I exercise, when I sleep but most of all when I choose. I put my phone on silent regularly and always for texts. I do not want to be ruled by a tyrant and that is what all these gadgets are, tyrants (useful tyrants I admit !) Young people particularly are at risk of not realizing that they control the technology, not the other way round.

Face to face communication has always been a difficult thing but the more we retreat into the fantasy world of the ether the less we get to practice what really counts  !

Published in the West Cork People July 2010