Awareness? Why has it become so rare?
I have been pondering just this a lot. I still am. The answer I am coming to is not definitive, just my opinion. My opinion based on the past 5 weeks. Actually, it's an opinion that has been bubbling for far longer as the question it reflects on is one I have been thinking about for a long time. It is one I have been trying to shed the light on for myself ... in order to understand.
In order to understand ...
... why people listen but they do not hear? Simply not interested?
... when it happened that time became such a rare commodity there is no longer any available to pick up the phone and make a 2 or 3 minute phone call to check in on someone to see how they are?
Real or perceived busy-ness?
...why message chats are now more increasingly disjointed and what could take 5 minutes spreads over half an hour sometimes? Multitasking? Chatting with several people about different things at once so stretching focus and concentration?
... when, on the rare occasion a call is made, did it become necessary to message first and see if it is alright to call instead of just picking up the phone spontaneously?
Don't really want to chat in person? Lost the skill of spontaneous voice to voice talk?
... why individual worlds have shrunk until they exist no further than the front door or the screen of the nearest mobile device or computer?
Social isolation in a connected world?
... why it is not possible to see the difficulties of the person in front of you as you walk towards them even though they are clearly struggling to put one foot in front of the other?
Not your problem? See but don't care? Simply do not notice?
... why is becoming more prevalent that people cancel last minute or persistently arrive late?
So easy to do by text message through a choice of so many channels - quick & depersonalised?
There is more.
I cannot believe this change is conscious, at least I have to hold on to that hope; that this seeming lack of awareness is not down to selfishness or an increasing lack of empathy as a friend suggested.
The smartphone? Can we really just pass all the blame onto a device? We make the choice to use it, right? It is not controlling us. We have free will. Or do we? Of course we do and yet I cannot escape the conclusion that our increasing addiction to devices & so-called connectivity is driving our increasing lack of awareness and consequent human connection.
I need to ponder more.
In other news the boiler was fixed by yesterday lunchtime. I am warm again. And I had Jailbreak #5 thanks to another lovely accomplice. You know who you are - thank you! It was so lovely to get out of the cold house and have lunch, conversation and some laughter.