Technology has undeniably progressed into ways unthought of in previous years. Every aspect of our day-to-day life has been thought of. Convenience has taken priority. Saving time is of great importance. We already feel overwhelmed just by existing; we don’t want to be reminded of the constant array of errands and chores we need to complete. 

Running low on groceries? There’s an app for that. Laundry? Click a few buttons, and it’ll be done for you. Any movie ever created? In the comfort of your own home. Having strong cravings? Press here, here, and here, and it’ll be dropped off at your doorstep. You won’t even have to talk to anyone. 

Gone are the days you had to deal with the delivery driver. The days when grocery shopping meant you actually had to have a face-to-face interaction with someone. God forbid we talk to the young individual working at the movie theater. Our society is already hyper-individualistic. And now, technology is replacing human connection more than ever. The small windows of conversation we had are diminishing right in front of our eyes. 

Social connection and interaction are essential to human life. Without it, we would not be around. We need to have that for our basic well-being. If we lose it, we lose ourselves. What makes us, us. 

Leave at Door; Don’t Knock. 

COVID-19 changed how we saw the outside world. Mandatory quarantine. Months of lockdown. A combination of isolation and fear, aside from the rapid spread of the global pandemic, meant that we seldom left the house. We backed into a corner of screens and touchpads. Our lives were taken over by fluorescent lights and LED backgrounds. Communication became typing on a screen. Seeing faces was only possible in a rectangle. 

Our reliance on technology was necessary then, but it only grew from then on. We saw how convenient things could be. It wasn’t even a fight; technology stepped in for human connection, and we simply made way for it. Our existence is centered around the tech in our lives. 

We have no need to see who’s at the door, just open the app and click on the camera icon. Talking to people happens through a device, as if we have become robots, not by opening the door and chatting amongst each other. We crave connection yet bury ourselves further in our handheld devices, thinking it has the ability to fill the gaps that only grow. Most of our knowledge now comes from social media, and we feel a lack of desire to fact-check or independently research, meaning that we often end up walking around with incorrect information, spreading it from person to person. We forgot how to pay attention to others on the off-chance we do have a real conversation. Eye contact is intimidating. Staying focused on one task for a long period of time is daunting, near-impossible. 

It’s an endless cycle. We lost our social skills because technology is replacing human connection. So we lean on technology in social settings because we don’t know what to do. It’s a phenomenon so severe, there’s a name for it: Phubbing. 

Phubbing is when you ignore someone in a social setting and prioritize looking at your phone. Doing this only further impacts your connection with others, severing an already fragile line between man and world. Anxiety levels spike, conversation quality plummets. Our satisfaction in life in general, among others, reduces significantly, leaving lingering feelings of exclusion and depression. 

All those video chats and texting conversations leave an impact on our mental health. Emotional connection is easy to lose if not constantly maintained. Our emotional needs have gotten used to being ignored, so all we feel is empty inside. Empathy is a sensitive flower that, if not watered enough, begins to wilt and die. Our over-dependence on technology and the digital realm diminishes our ability to feel for one another. Social media puts up a wall between our peers and us, giving the illusion of connection, but the reality is that we have been isolated from each other. 

And without community, which is what is at stake, our society falls apart. We are not individual people. We are meant to exist in a crowd. To engage with our friends and neighbors. 

Don’t Ring Doorbell. 

Despite how dire the situation might be, it isn’t the end of the world. There are methods to put in place to mitigate the impacts of technology. 

Acknowledging our unhealthy relationship with it is always step one. After that, we can begin progress. Practicing skills like active listening, holding eye contact when with others, or in a conversation, making a conscious effort not to be on your phone, are all beneficial to repairing our connection with the world. 

Knowing that what we see online and read on social media isn’t true, and that the reality we have constructed for ourselves and others is, basically, a fantasy, will help detach us from the screen in our hands. Integrating back into things that require interaction, while potentially daunting, is necessary for our wellbeing. Chatting with the cashier at the grocery store, opening the door for the delivery guy, and engaging in small talk with your neighbor, all these seemingly small details in your day are consequential when it comes to mental health and social skills. 

Technology is a part of our lives. It’s an indisputable fact, no getting around it. But it doesn’t have to be our whole life. Make sure you’re a part of your world. 

Have you ever experienced phubbing? Let us know in the comments below!