this post was submitted on 07 Jun 2023
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As a person who works in tech and is an early adopter for almost every new gizmo out there, I feel that we were better off back in the day when stuff was all analog and things were done manually.
Sure it was inconvenient, but it made us experience the world more and actually interacted with real people. I have crappy social skills and I have seen the change in myself over the years. I get anxious when my phone rings now, as opposed to being excited back in the day.
This makes me think of a quote by Kurt Vonnegut:
I really believe that part of the loneliness and lack of community many people feel nowadays can be attributed to automating everything for convenience. We miss out on these brief interactions and meaningless smalltalk, giving us less chance to practice our social skills in low-stakes situations. I see the change even in myself; in my college days I didn't really experience much social anxiety since I was always surrounded by people, but now I sometimes find a quick trip to the grocery store somewhat difficult. It's really troubling to think about, and it makes me long for the analog past.
Favorited. Thanks for the quote.
I'm working at a liquor store as a cashier right now. It isnt where I want to be in six months but it's been a joy overall. The amount of chitchat I get to engage in is voluminous and I learn a lot every day about people's lives.
Wow... thank you for this. This captures my feeling exactly and this is what I and many others miss from life.
I feel you and I experienced the same. I was quite social back in my college days too, even though I was still an introvert. I used to strike up conversation and small talk with people. However, now, just the thought of making eye contact with a stranger is enough for me to avoid going outside or skipping the thing/event altogether.
I mean, I can still do the small talk, but it comes with immense effort, and a bit of awkwardness. Internally I just want to run away and hide in a corner. Never used to happen before.
I also work in tech and love to buy gadgets and stuff. I've lived the majority of my adult life with a smart phone, pretty much my entire career. One thing I really wish I got to experience more of was working, dating, socializing, etc when you were very hard to get ahold of once you left the house. You'd have a phone at work, a phone at home, you'd check your messages and read the mail. Beyond that, you would be on your own when you were out in the world and not at the beck and call of anyone who who can contact you via one of hundreds of ways on a smartphone.