“Oh you’re bored? Invite a friend over!” is a sentence few of us have heard since before AOL, Skype, FaceBook, and Smartphone’s leaped into society; some would say uninvited. Our society has replaced technology with people to the extension where we no longer need physical presence to feel entertained, nor feel connected.
For starters, just simply look at the evolution of video games. After school my generation enjoyed inviting friends over and taking turns using the two hand-held remotes the games came with. We’d laugh, socialize, and idly talk while we waited for our turn. At the very least this use of technology integrated some form of physical social interaction. Today middle school and high school children alike race home to play video games just as swiftly as before, yet, they’re playing in a different context…alone. With the use of a head device a player can log on from home and compete against friends, even verbally communicate with those friends, while those other users are also playing from home alone. However, that sense of being “alone” has vanished. We’re interacting with our friends, right? Wrong.
Everyone falls victim to technology’s perks every once in a while. I’ll admit on a few occasions I’ve texted my roommates simple questions or jokes instead of actually leaving my room and “venturing” the 20 steps down the hall to theirs. What used to be intended for convenience or entertainment is now being taken advantage of. Now that these inventions have been introduced to us it will be impossible to go back to our previous forms of living, but it wouldn’t kill anyone to meet for a good “old-fashioned cup of coffee” every once and a while rather than a Skype session.