During lunch with some family members yesterday to mark my 50th year of life on earth, I was fortunate to be sitting, eating and talking with similar questioning/ curious/ challenging/ constructive minds to my own. These relatives have a similar passion for observing the world and its ways, teaching, and (in one case) a keen interest in physics.
Discussion flowed across a wide range of topics; but the most engrossing topic for me was about the decline in the quality and strength of interaction/ communication between people in all aspects of life.
It was fascinating to hear the views of each person who I shared this uplifting occasion with. The commonly-held opinion was that increasingly computers (hand-held devices in particular) are directly causing the demise of solid relationships between people, which once held together strongly through the use of verbal communication and the rich emotions that arise when speaking. It was our shared view that:
a) The reliance on screens was directly adversely impacting the quality of verbal communication between people – at home and in the work place.
b) Communicating via computers is reducing the strength of “real” (i.e. not online) people relationships overall.
c) Relying on computers as a major source of information is reducing the ability and willingness of particularly younger people to think for themselves – to originate thought and have innovative ideas.
d) People hiding behind screens in order to contact other people is causing many people to lose the ability to form and nurture “real” (i.e. not online) relationships – because the skills and experiences needed to develop relationships “in the flesh” are not being practiced to any great extent now.
In my view, it is highly likely and quite foreseeable that this addiction to using computers to facilitate communication exchanges will continue to be a major causation factor in the degradation of human relationships around the world. Mankind needs to pay greater attention to fostering “real” relationships with one another if the current trending of relationship dysfunctionality in the work place and home environment is going to start changing for the better. Perhaps start by having a catch-up cup of coffee with a friend where both you and the friend agree to be phone-free throughout the time spent together ?
Mark these words: Where/ when people relationships fail, so too do the businesses that the people are a part of/ own. Without effective functional relationships operating it is simply not possible to establish, develop and evolve a viable business.