As I sit around the dinner table, I am lonely. I feel confused. How could I be lonely when I am surrounded by all of my loved ones? Because physically, they are present but mentally they are somewhere else. The 21st century is one full of disconnect. Technology is seen as beneficial, yet it's creating the loneliest society man kind has ever seen. I can’t remember the last time someone looked in my eyes and talked to me (aside from my dad scolding me for my spending habits with the most irate look in his eyes). Don't get me wrong; I am a product of this generation. The disconnect affects me heavily and that's why it's scary.
Technology is ruining the dating scene. I can't tell you the last time I went out on a date OR when the last time was that I experienced a good date. How is this possible? Well, communication ability seems to have drastically decreased and expectations are consistently set too high. Through internet dating, people can create who they want to be and become false versions of themselves. How do we ever really know who we are talking to?
Don’t even get me started on tinder and Ashley Madison; you can’t get any more impersonal than that. Isn’t dating supposed to be filled with courteous, sweet and kind actions? How on God’s green earth is it okay to message a girl with some nasty sexual comment and call that the beginning of a wonderful future together? Not to mention, the sacredness of a relationship is blown out of the water because a website for married people to have affairs EXISTS. Technology sets relationships up to fail. We have a billion options in front of us because of it, so just one thing or person seems to be too little.
Plus, face-to-face interpersonal communication is simply not a skill many possess. Conversations I have with other millennials feel so forced, because people can't hide behind their phones or computers. All I want is to feel a strong connection and sense of love with people. Closeness. Real relationships form after a connection has been made. But people can't do that. I am afraid that soon we will all be in relationships with our computers and phones. Effective face-to-face communication is something we have to work for, and technology stands in the way of that. Yet, the current generation doesn’t realize they need to verbally communicate. They think a text message is enough. Pick up the phone and call someone if you really feel the need but stop with the impersonal.
A lot of fake friends, a lot of shallow conversations, and staying above the surface. Today, that's pretty much what you consistently get. That's why I believe that this technology (that's supposed to be benefiting our world) is doing nothing but destroying it. We live in a very detached world and I am scared for the hearts, minds and souls of its inhabitants.
