The other day, I Skyped my grandparents who live on Vancouver Island, a mountain range and ferry ride away. It was great to be able to catch them up on what is happening in my life. Even through the pixilating and graininess of the long-distant Internet connection it was still fantastic to hear and see them.
I attempt conversation while in line at the grocery store. The lady looks at me like I am a crazy person, as if she saw my face on Global News.
Are we as a society completely ignoring standard social graces? Personal connections and conversations are slowly being replaced by technology. Face-to-face encounters are replaced by Facebook and Twitter. Even the use of the telephone has been replaced with texting. Mass emails are replacing standard phone calls from our political parties. Robo calls and email distribution lists have replaced the standard warm handshake from a cold politician. How are we supposed to engage in debate with a computer?
Don’t be part of the problem!
Break the cycle. Next time you are in the grocery store, I dare you to say hello to the neighbour in line with you. You don’t need to invite them for dinner, just flash them a simple smile, and show how approachable you are. You never know, you might even strike up a conversation and find a future friend or at least learn something new about the world beyond your computer screen.
I’m not trying to “techno bash” here. I am a proponent of what technology can offer us: the ability to communicate over long distances.
Has technological advancements really advanced our human interactions?
It has in no way come close to a big ol’ bear hug from Grandpa.
Shannon LaViolette