"Number 547 was likely the oldest person I wrote a letter to. His paragraph on the evolution of communication, framed in a way that only someone who has lived each stage of adulthood can achieve, speaks to how technology, as much as it offers us almost limitless connections, can make us feel further away from each other. While anticipating a reply to a text we know someone has read or checking our phones to see who has liked our Facebook or Instagram post might not seem like a lonely act, the wait itself can leave us feeling isolated. It inherently makes us question ourselves. Why hasn’t my friend responded yet? Is anyone going to like my post?
Additionally, we feel alone because regardless of how many responses we do ultimately receive or how quickly we get them, we remain isolated throughout the entire process of the “conversation.” One-on-one, “old school” communication, on the other hand, leaves no room for such doubts. The other person is right in front of us; we can touch them, see their facial reactions, watch their body movements. They are deliberately here for us, and we for them. We matter. They matter. Perhaps we’ve sacrificed reassurance and peace for convenience." -Daughters, Amy Weinland. Dear Dana (pp. 267-268). She Writes Press. Kindle Edition.
While I was reading this book, a memory kept popping up in my mind. When I was a little girl, my momma would often have coffee with her friends. I remember the feeling of sitting on her lap with my head laying over her heart. I can still smell her coffee breath and feel the rumble of her vocal vibrations under my cheek. As a whole, I don't think we do this enough these days. Time. Actual time spent in the physical presence of our friends and family. Not when we see them at work, or run into them in public...but actually spending TIME together! I'm as guilty as the next person with this; heck, I rarely answer the phone anymore because I'd rather communicate via text. It's easier...less messy...less of a chance people will see deeply into what makes me tick. This is NOT a good thing!
If you want to read a book that will make you examine your own use of social media and how you navigate the relationships in your life, I highly recommend this one.