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The bridge of connectivity.  Sunday, June 13, 2010   Emotions very volatile things. The human being is a social animal. Put the two of those facts together and it brings me to the train of thought that catalyzed this post. As reclusive as a person is, it is impossible to survive without human contact. Lets face it, there was Buddha who spent his lifetime roaming jungles alone and meditating centuries ago- something that no one from this day and age can do. And no, he was not carrying a blackberry, an iphone and a laptop with unlimited broadband connection. Is it me, or is the need for human contact growing apace with technological advancement? When once phones did not exist, people used to write long letters to each other. Letters that would get to the recipient after a few weeks or months. Distance literally made the hearts grow fonder. Those who met after months of separation probably hugged each other tightly, appreciating the chance to meet once again and catch up face to face on the events that have occurred to each. Now, we've got twitter and facebook which enable to know exactly what a friend thought about 3 seconds ago and comment or reply to it. We've got instant messengers that allow video chats. We can share pictures, videos, thoughts and info with another person who is halfway across the world too easily. So, does the technology still allow people to still really miss being with each other? After all, the person is not only one phone call away but one facebook status away. Where people from a century ago used to meet at a town square or a coffee shop, it was to fulfill that need for human contact. To exchange news, problems and gossip. Now, all of that has shifted mediums- thanks to technology. Pace of life has become so fast, that the only way left to keep in touch with the rest of humankind is to have a facebook account. Else, you would miss out on wedding invites, birthday celebrations and the latest scandals happening among your friends list. Observing people around me, and being one of those human contact addicts myself, I've realized that the more technology advances, the lesser I meet real people. I've had friends that I've not met in a long time and yet happen to know the latest in their lives thanks to social networks. And no, there is no space left to miss them or the real fun times we used to have when the words 'social network' did not exist. Then the question pops up, are we missing out on the joys of life that can be attained by really meeting and interacting in person because of this addiction to social networking applications on our iphones? At some level, I honestly feel that we are missing out. No, technology is not a bad thing that separates people. Some would argue the benefits that technology brings toward bringing people together. And I'd agree with those people. Then again, there are always two sides to a coin. The other side argues that although technology connects on many points, it also disconnects at those exact same points. The human is not going to change its fundamental needs of wanting attention and interaction with other humans. Its the way we're made. And while technology can be the infrastructure toward feeding those needs, this human thinks they should not become the sole channel of communication. Why? Because while its alright to check your notifications the first thing in the morning now, no one would want to wake up someday to realize that the wonder years of life were spent updating facebook status-es. Coz thats not human. Thats the life of a robot. || MizJinX's thoughts || <10:41:00 PM> 6 comments