Connecting With Others: A True Challenge
Technology, when it comes to communication, is one of the best representations of the duality our actions can have. On the one hand, it gives us experience and information; on the other hand, it poses a serious threat. This is because it deprives us of actual experiences. So connecting with others becomes both easier and more difficult at the same time.
Social networks, for example, allow us to get closer to what is already close to us. We can communicate with people who live thousands of miles away in an instant. In addition, we can see places they normally visit, what they like, what their hobbies are and how their social circles develop.
The danger of this arises when what happens behind the scenes acts as a substitute for traditional forms of communication. Connecting with others is so much more than just “liking” a post. Talking to someone face to face requires a huge amount of gray areas that are lost in “whatsapp” or what you now use for platform. Photographs rarely have the power to reflect a complete reality. At least not the way we can experience anyone in real life.
We run the risk of becoming dependent on our social networks. We forget to connect with other people through looks and gestures. We also interpret non-verbal language in photos. Sometimes these photos show us even when we do not want to show the world what we feel. The key is to make the best of technology but not to depend on them.
We define our lives by uploading our daily lives on social networks. An experience is often not valued if it is not “published” on social media. It is not enough to experience and enjoy an event. We need others to know about it too.
A study from the universities of Wisconsin, Haverford, Northwestern and Toronto found that couples who posted more on social networks were most unhappy.
In general, it can be said that people who most need external recognition (“liking” of posts, visits to their profile, etc.) are also the most needy. A person with good self-esteem does not need others to express their liking of photos, travel, partners or friends. They will simply use social media to check from time to time but never out of need.
Do not forget that a conversation or conversation involves but than keeping an eye on the screen or sending a text. Nor can a photo replace the experience of the real landscape. “Approval” does not mean that you express an opinion. It simply means that you mark that you are there and follow the post.
The real essence of our daily life is recorded in our memory. It is not good to devalue its value to a smartphone photo. A simple moment can hide an emotional moment. We can definitely miss it if all we use to capture it is a camera.
You should sacrifice the phone occasionally or for a little while. Nothing will happen if you leave it at home once. Take time for a coffee, social event, travel and embrace, smile, hold someone’s hand connected to other people and live the reality.
It is true that it may not just be about us. It seems that most people have taken a stand for digital versus face to face communication. Being able to hang out with them is almost a miracle. So if you do not want to lose touch with them, you have no choice but to go where they spend most of their time – in the digital world.
Real life is hidden behind social media. There is a life behind every profile. We are more than a picture or a contact. Each person is a world that is reflected to a very small extent in their network. So connecting with others is more than being “online” at the same time. Leave your screen for a while and see what reality has to offer you.
