Hiding Behind the Veil of Technology

Image by Stuart Barr via Flickr

When cell phones were first created, the original purpose was to bring people closer together. You could phone an aunt or uncle who lived far away in a matter of seconds. But as technology is advancing, it seems that we are also coming up with new ways to avoid people and potential awkward situations.

I mean, how many of us don’t pick up the phone when we see a certain name appear on the screen? Or choose not to respond to a text when it’s inconvenient? I know I’m definitely guilty of this.

I recently saw an advertisement for a company called “Slydial” that takes you directly to a cell phone user’s voice mail, and thus avoiding any unwanted conversation. One of the advertisements was, “Dump your lover directly on voice mail!” I mean, really? Have we become so dependent on technology, that we can’t even have a personal conversation without having to use some sort of gadget for a crutch?

I don’t think there’s anything necessarily wrong with the concept of going directly to someone’s voicemail. I can see how it would be useful to just relay a quick message or reminder, or if you aren’t sure if it’s a bad time for them, etc.

But if we can’t even talk to someone in person about an important matter, like breaking up with them, then it seems as though we’re just using technology to hide behind, and our real-life communication skills are taking a dive. Who knows, maybe in the future there will be no personal interaction at all. I don’t think it would ever go that far, but we certainly seem to be headed that way. Hoj