Written by Susan Gunther
After recently attending a social media conference this weekend, I’m clearer than ever that people’s social skills are quickly dying.
Looking back to the good ol’ days—not even 5 years ago— you would go to an event and there wasn’t a laptop, mobile phone or tablet in sight. Instead you’d see people interacting face-to-face and paying attention during sessions with a notepad and pen in front of them.
Fast-forward to today and the reliance on technology is astounding. Everywhere you look—people with their heads down intently scrolling or hitting refresh on their smart phones and iPads. People typing away on their computers or muttering as they continuously try to connect to the Internet. So what if a panel of industry experts is trying to share content of value or we have the opportunity to network while we wait for the session to begin—information must be accessed. Right. Now.
Have we really all become that addicted to technology and afraid of not being “connected” to work, family or friends for more than 5 or 10 minutes? What about the new connections that will never be established because we’re too busy looking busy?
Engagement is now judged based on how many ways you are getting or sharing content electronically. Facebook. Twitter. YouTube. LinkedIn. Flipboard. Instagram. Phone Apps. Blogs. Microsites. E-mail. Instant Messaging. The opportunity for anyone to disseminate or obtain information is endless. Literally—endless.
Very soon, there will be a tipping point where we either have to accept this as the new wave in “communication” or begin to re-awaken our need for human interaction. I welcome any thoughts you may have on the subject…phone calls or in-person visits preferred.
