I feel like I’m hearing a lot less from people these days. Not to say I don’t see people’s opinions on the internet, read text messages and emails frequently, or by any means avoid social interaction. It just seems that conversation is dying.
We live in the era of technology, where a tweet, post, or text is becoming more commonplace than a face-to-face conversation with a friend. I remember when I didn’t have a phone and when I didn’t use Facebook, when I would always be physically present in conversation.
Our society is quickly becoming more absent physically in order to be more “connected” digitally. And although digital communication has its silver lining, we often overlook the fact that it is a dark gray cloud coming to rain on mankind’s social parade.
And as shouts of “blasphemy!” roar, may I ask: why, in courting, do we prefer face-to-face conversation over text? Why do employers prefer to see potential employees come walking through their door-to-inquire about the status of their job application rather than asking the same question through an email? Why does my father still travel to the Midwest for business rather than place a phone call?
Because face-to-face interaction is much more powerful than digital contact. Because if conversation, real, true conversation, could become the newest fad in social media, our world would change radically for the better. So let’s make that happen.
Michael Abbott
Provo
