We're More Connected than Ever Before. (Not!)

Late last year, I entered the realm of texting.

Not necessarily by choice.

Actually, I started receiving numerous texts from church members, and since I didn't have a texting plan on my phone it cost the church extra $$.  The obvious solution was to upgrade my phone (I wasn't going to text without a full keyboard) since the extra money spent would be less than what was being spent on the texts I was receiving and sending.

Now, I get texts regularly.  To be fair, I also send a few, and I confess, it's much easier to get in touch with people because folks will oftentimes respond to a text quicker than to a voice message.  At least we're communicating, but contrary to all the hype, I have come to see I am not really connecting. 

Technology has a (ahem!) wonderful way of actually distancing us from those we come in contact with.

Way back when, when there were no phones, most communication was done face to face.  Of course, you could write letters to communicate, but you usually did this when someone was some distance away.  If you needed to communicate, you got on your horse, went to your neighbor and talked.  How many of us really do that today? 

Then came the telegraph followed by the telephone.  Suddenly, we could send and receive messages much faster.  We could call one another and talk without leaving the comfort of our own homes.  We could still hear the person on the other end of the line, but suddenly, we were one step removed from his or her presence.  Of course, the phone was a boon for people separated by distances.  Now they could talk and check in.  I don't want to minimize this positive.  It was good.  But face to face time began its erosion.

Enter email and text.  Whereas the telephone enabled you to communicate without leaving your home, you at least had to talk to someone.  That might be pleasant.  It might be awkward.  But at least you had to go back and forth.  You could pick up some inflection in voice and read moods if you listened carefully.  With email and text, you no longer have to do that.  You can zap someone else and wait for a reply if you so choose.   You don't have to listen for clues that offer emotion.  You don't have to enter into another's personal space and be affected by it.  One more step further removed from personal, face to face connection.  In fact, there's almost no connection what-so-ever except for information.  And can we exist and be in relationship through electronic words alone?

No wonder it seems like we are lonelier than ever.  We've replaced face to face with typing through a hand held computer with no interaction at all.  We're connected to machines instead of each other.

Yet, the t.v. and radio commercials tell us that beyond a shadow of a doubt we are more connected than ever.

Pardon me if I puke.