This story originally appeared on the Gents Cafe Newsletter. You can subscribe here.
They say technology has made the world smaller; and to be fair, it has. You can call your friend halfway across the globe, or attend virtual meetings in your pyjama bottoms. It’s amazing, right? But here’s the thing: has all this connectivity made us lose touch with truly connecting with others?
Think about it. When was the last time you sat down with someone to chat and had a full conversation without the ding from your phone notifications distracting you every few minutes? Exactly. We’ve become so accustomed to texting, video calls, and scrolling through people’s social media feeds that we sometimes forget what it’s like to actually be around someone – and I’ll leave the clear degradation of people’s ability to enunciate words and be more articulate for another time.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying technology is the enemy. It’s a lifesaver in many ways. It keeps us connected to loved ones who live far away, lets us work from the comfort of our homes, and even helps us meet new people through online communities. It’s because of this technology I began writing for Gents Cafe. But there’s a flip side to all this convenience. Sometimes, it feels like we’re so busy being “connected” that we’re forgetting how to connect. A text can never capture the warmth of a face-to-face conversation. Emojis, as funny as they are, don’t convey the depth of a shared laugh or the warmth from seeing the smile of someone you’re happy to see.
Take social media, for example. We scroll through curated highlights of people’s lives, double-tap a photo, and maybe even leave a comment. But how often do we pick up the phone or meet up to ask, “Hey, how are you really doing?”. While we’re technically more “connected” than ever, loneliness levels have increased. It’s like we’ve traded spontaneous meetups for scheduled Google Meets and in-person hangouts for exchanging memes in our DMs.
And then there’s the way technology has changed how we interact in social settings. Have you ever been out with friends, and everyone’s glued to their screens instead of enjoying each other’s company? It’s like we’re there, but not really there. I have an old friend who held a gathering for his birthday, just to stop the event and send everyone home because people were more on their phones than enjoying the music and interacting with each other.
So, has technology made us distant? It’s not black and white. It’s about how we use it. Technology can enhance relationships when we let it, but it can also become a crutch. Maybe it’s time we learn how to strike a balance. Make an effort to reconnect with each other in real, meaningful ways. Call that friend you’ve been meaning to text. Put the phone down at dinner and actually listen. At the end of the day, no amount of Wi-Fi bandwidth can replace a genuine human connection.
