Desocialization of the Human Race

We are currently experiencing the desocialization of the human race. When I was growing up cell phones were still in their infancy, the internet was some fancy series of tubes that no one really understood, you actually had to call or go in to order a pizza. . . in short, you had to interact with other living beings to accomplish anything. Now with the widespread use of cell phones and the internet, pure human interaction without electronic intervention is rare. Think about it, how often have you spent more than an hour without looking at your cell phone to check texts or email? No, that time you were out of cell service for a weekend doesn't count.

I lost my cell phone for 4 days this past winter and felt incredibly lost without it. I know approximately 6 phone numbers by heart, whereas when I was a kid I was practically a walking phonebook for the people in my life. Now I rely on my phone to keep all that information, and without it I can't get in touch with them. Facebook came to the rescue and let me coordinate with a few people, but I was pretty much cut off from most of the people I was trying to connect with (I lost the phone on my skication). I'm not alone in this; if you know more than 10 phone numbers for people in your phone go get a cookie. You deserve it.

If that was the extent of the problem I guess I couldn't really call it desocialization. Unfortunately the problem is both broader and deeper than that. Domino's Pizza, you may have heard of it, has a handy dandy ordering system. Other chains like Pizza Hut have a similar system; you can build and order your meal entirely online, meaning the only human interaction you need to have is paying the pizza guy. If you pay with a card all you have to do is sign. I know plenty of people, myself included, who will order from these places for this simple convenience.

There are plenty of customer service scenarios where you have an email contact or a phone contact available, and I would hazard a guess that most people opt for the email option a majority of the time. There's a logical justification for this: it's less time consuming on both ends to exchange emails. It's the same reason texting has become the prefered form of communication over calling; if you can respond when it's convenient, and only say what needs to be said (when it comes to phone conversations there are the expected courtesies e.g. how're the kids? gotten rid of that llama infestation? etc.). It's succinct, it's convenient, and it's what leading 1st world societies to be introverted.

Human interaction is key. It's ironic that I of all people am saying this; growing up I was introverted to a pathological level. I was chronically shy and people scared the crap out of me. I may have done a little dance when I found out about that pizza ordering system. I'm still fairly shy but actually relish the opportunity to make small talk with random strangers; it's a skill I've developed from working in retail and in customer service (Victoria's Secret, Bath & Body Works, Sunglass Hut, Big Sky Resort Ski School) and pride myself on.

It's great when people can get away to the great outdoors where cell service doesn't exist. You can unplug and just enjoy the company of good friends in a great setting. This is what I hear so many people talking about when it comes to camping. But I ask you this: why can't we unplug even in the middle of a big city? Put down the phone, close the laptop, turn off the TV. Go somewhere, do something, be around people. You might discover that, while John Doe seems cool on Twitter, he's actually a cooler dude in person. Maybe you can hit up that next climbing route or skin that next line with a new buddy in tow. What do you have to lose?