The Observer, August 29, 2008
Volume XLI, Issue 1
Case Culture: Technology a cheap substitute for intimacy
As I sat at my desk reading Facebook, I was bombarded with the usual news items: Jennifer broke up with John, Mike told Matt that he was "soooo wasted Saturday," and someone I couldn't stand in high school wanted to be friends. Truth is, I don't know who Jennifer is, I don't care how much Mike drank on Saturday, and I still can't stand that kid. Nevertheless, Facebook allowed me to feel sorry for someone I don't know, follow Mike's alcoholism, and reject that kid's friendship, all the while maintaining a comfortable distance, disdain, or whatever it was that motivated my actions.
I realize that such behavior is indicative of a larger, more pervasive issue in our time. As we pack ourselves into increasingly dense cities, as we invent new ways to stay in touch without ever being in touch, the great irony – that we are growing farther apart – emerges. No longer must I actually speak to a friend to update myself on their existence; I can simply log on and read all relevant information, neatly presented as if it was a database entry – which it is, in a sense. The contempt I have for such outlets lies in the secondary effects they create: they allow social grace and more importantly, conversational skill to fall by the wayside. Like any skill, if you don't use it, it tends to diminish. People lose not only their ability to converse, but also their ability to further bonds, breeding interactions like the one I just described.
The question this naturally poses is how we remedy such a problem, how we regain our ability to connect with people without connecting to a machine. Many people live their lives out on sites like Facebook, constantly keeping their friends privy to the most recent details of their lives and eagerly absorbing any tidbit on others' lives. For many, these immense catalogs of information have crossed the line that separates an aid for keeping in touch from a replacement for human interaction. Therefore, when those aids are removed, many of us find ourselves woefully ill prepared to sustain a conversation, to follow the ebb and flow of the exchange of information, and to detect and respond to subtleties such as tone and inflection. We find that live interaction has become too difficult.
It's possible that Case students are particularly prone to this problem since we live on a very technologically oriented campus. We should be especially aware of these pitfalls, lest we find ourselves living our lives out on computers, unwilling and possibly unable to interact in person.
I believe the solution lies in realizing the limitations of living in a connected society. The ability to overcome physical distance via a computer does not imply the ability to overcome emotional distance. That skill is won only through repeated and meaningful live interaction. Computers are best for information exchange, not interaction. If we wish to maintain current relationships and foster new bonds, it is of the utmost importance that we do not forget the difference between communication and human interaction. Technology is an aid, never a substitute.
Alex Cooke is a senior math and psychology major with plans of going to grad school and eventually joining the FBI. He enjoys spending time with his horse and songwriting and can be reached at arc14@case.edu.
