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the ups-and-downs and sides-to-sides of the little things that make up life
This month something shocking happened. My mom got an iPhone and she knows how to use it. She’s texting and sending picture messages for the first time ever.
I love it and I hate it.
I love it because we’re better connected. We now “talk” in short bursts throughout the day vs. having one longer conversation at the end. With picture messages, we can easily see and experience what the other person is seeing and experiencing. In addition, we can communicate on our own schedules. She texts me early in the morning and I text her late at night without worry of waking the other up. I’m also more involved in the smaller details of her life; things that don’t warrant a full phone conversation, an interruption, but can be asked via text.
I hate it because we’re conversing less. Now, because we text throughout the day, going a day or two without talking is less of a big deal. Part of me misses that interaction. I miss hearing my mom’s voice. I miss hearing about the bigger picture; the things that can’t be communicated in 160 characters.
The same thing is happening with friends. Instead of Sunday catch-up calls, we send text or facebook messages. We’re interacting more because it’s conveniently done on our own time. When everyone is in different time zones, these technologies make interacting easier. But again, we’re missing the things that can’t be communicated through delayed conversations.
Sure, we’re interacting more. We’re getting more of the little, daily experiences of a person’s life, but what are we losing? To interact more what have we sacrificed?
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