Our generation seems to have lost the art of making conversation. Technology is taking over us and sometimes I can’t help but feel like it’s doing us more harm than good. Don’t get me wrong, I love technology. It’s great and I can’t imagine life without it. However, sometimes I crave more — the irony, right? Technology has given us so many ways to connect with people, yet human connection has never been more absent.
There have been countless instances when I’ve noticed couples who seem to be more interested in texting than in talking to each other while out to dinner, or families with children whose eyes seem to be glued to their phones while out and about. It’s sad to see that “no cell phones at the table” has to be a rule in many households, when it should be a natural choice. We should want to engage in conversation with our family instead of spending time on our phones.
When we’re waiting in line, we scroll through Instagram, when we get to class early, we watch Snapchat stories and when we’re eating with friends, we simultaneously reply to texts. We never seem to focus our attention on the people in front of us. Is it really that hard for us to put away our phones for just an hour and focus on the person we’re with?
We need to learn how to engage in a genuine conversation with someone. We need to learn how to communicate outside of tiny screens and not allow technology to diminish human connection.