The Changing Face of Connecting and Being Social

These days, I seem to see more and more articles and YouTube clips about how the world — or much of it — is in some sort of "relationship crisis."

I was listening to a podcast earlier, and the guest — a psychologist specializing in dating and relationships — was citing the statistic that in many western societies, all forms of relationships are in decline, from traditional marriage to casual "hooking up."

Is there a problem?

Well, if people aren't getting together on any level, the eventual result is inevitable population decline... something that's already happening in many parts of the world.

I see this, and then I consider it against a backdrop where some believe it's not outside the realm of possibility that there will be people who will have relationships — and even marry — their AI "companions," in some fashion.

Have we just forgotten how to connect with others? Or are we actively UNlearning the process?

I used to think it was mildly funny to watch a group of teenagers in a fast food joint sitting at the table together texting each other, rather than actually talking. Maybe it's not funny, at all... maybe it's closer to tragic?

Shorter and shallower?

Sometimes it feels like everything in the world is "shortening," and perhaps the entire practice of forming relationships is dying as a result.

Swipe right.
Swipe left.

Dating apps like Tinder and Bumble reduce the whole process of getting to know someone to to mere snapshots.

Having worked on the coding and technical aspects of dating web sites in the early days of the Internet, the level of detail and self declaration offered in dating profiles 25 years ago was probably 10-20 TIMES what it is today.

I'm a pretty dedicated introvert but even I recognized — way back when — that in order to find friendships and relationships I had to be willing to put myself in harm's way. Meaning, "get out there and treat relating like it's a JOB you're putting effort into!"

It doesn't just happen out of thin air, like magic unicorn dust from the heavens!

But let's sidestep the world of dating and relationships and just look at being social, even here in the online environment.

In a somewhat distant (online) past, I kept other blogs... and it was not unusual for an a well-crafted and somewhat interesting post to get as many as 20-30 relevant comments.

Things changed, with the advent of MySpace, Facebook... and then twitter. Instead of someone formulating and sharing their thoughts at some length, the new "standard" seemed to become "yeah, cool, thumbs up emoji."

How can I possibly be "social" with you, based on a few words and an emoji?

Maybe the whole trend — and ensuing issue — has its roots in humanity's growing "demand" that everything in our lives be quick and easy.

Some things aren't suited to being quick and easy! Including the process of choosing someone you are potentially going to spend your life, or even just have fun with, for a while.

Perhaps I'm just getting old, but when I think about it... if the situation were at hand, I think I would be far more likely to try to connect with someone I have slowly been getting to know through their writing over a period of months or years, than trying to "swipe" via some dating app.

And yet?

The latter is what the majority are choosing to do... and not doing well at. And so... the world is having a "relationship crisis."

But here we are!

Let's remember to be social!

Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week ahead!

How about you? Do you believe the whole notion of being social and relationships has changed? How so? Do you think people are less likely to have relationships now, than in the past? If so, why? Leave a comment if you feel so inclined — share your experiences — be part of the conversation!

(All text and images by the author, unless otherwise credited. This is ORIGINAL CONTENT, created expressly for this platform — Not posted elsewhere!)

Created at 2024.08.26 01:59PDT
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