When I think of the future, I picture the year 3000, where the citizens of the world travel to their desired destinations via floating chairs and automatic robot servants. No, I’m not referring to the year where the Jonas Brothers discover that people live underwater, but rather a time where people rely so heavily on technology that they can’t even bare to walk on their own two feet.
When I think of the past, I imagine the year 1876, when the first telephone was invented. People must have been so excited to be able to communicate in ways other than writing a letter and waiting two days for a returned message. Alexander Graham Bell had no idea what type of revolution he was starting.
When I think of the last decade, I remember the year 2004, years before the release of the first iPhone. Life was so much simpler when I could run outside with friends for hours on end without the need for a cell phone to FaceTime and Snapchat.
When I think of the present, I worry. I see people wondering aimlessly around campus with their heads bowed as they type or scroll incessantly, occasionally looking up to make sure they don’t run into anybody. What happened to small talk as you walk to class? What happened to coffee dates with friends? What happened to dates in general?
We live in a world where technology is constantly being improved and remodeled. People want ease and luxury instead of time wastefulness and uncomfortable situations. But the real question is, why is awkwardness so unbearable? It's almost as if cell phones serve as an escape from any form of unwanted conversation. I am a victim of this—standing on the corner, waiting to cross the street. You see a friend that you met once in the bathroom of that frat party. You both say "hi". There's silence for about five seconds...and then you both pull your phones out and pretend to be preoccupied. Don't act like you haven't done it.
Hanging out with friends isn't the same as it used to be in the movies where girls do makeovers and gossip about cute boys. Sure, there's still gossip, but it's undermined by Netflix, Tinder, texting, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, Snapchat, Vine, and the list goes on. How can one intend to catch up with friends when everyone is constantly distracted by their own side conversations?
As technology continues to progress, it leaves me questioning the sake of our future. Why do people create 300-second Snapchat stories of concerts when they could be taking the time to enjoy the show? How are people supposed to fall in love if their only source of communication is Tinder? Why is re-pinning a picture of the beach on Pinterest more satisfying than actually taking the time to visit it yourself? At what point will people realize how many beautiful and interesting things they are missing out on in life?
So, no, face-to-face communication is not yet obsolete; however, it will be interesting to see how much more brainwashed mankind will become as the technology continues to evolve.
