The digital disconnection

Lately, I've been really struck by how interconnected our lives are in this digital age. There are dozens of ways to communicate without ever hearing or seeing another person--e-mail, voicemail,texts, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, etc. We have all these ways to get glimpses into the lives of other people without any real contact.

But, how does the quality of all of this digital communication compare to a visit, a phone call, or a handwritten letter? I believe this digital age has left a lot of people feeling isolated and lonely (I often do, so maybe I'm generalizing here). I've lived here in T-town for months now and while I've been able to keep in "contact" with my old college friends and colleagues, there has been no real communication, no real connection (well, maybe that one FB chat that one time) with even a potential friend.

No, here's what I think. All the digital comm. is a great way to keep in touch with people--maybe far away family and friends, college buddies and little-known former bosses. But, you can't make any new connections via ONLY digital means. I really believe that a good friendship usually occurs when you get the chance to meet face to face. When do we ever meet people face to face anymore?? We don't.

I don't have a solution...and I don't think a solution is necessary, not exactly. Mostly, because this digital age is here to stay. All the information at our fingertips is highly addictive, in its own way.

I just miss having a face to face conversation over lunch.