When we were young, you know, back in 70's and 80's when the biggest thing we were worried about was having a date to prom or to a party, we had it so easy. Especially since we didn't have cell phones and instant messenger and social media to screw it up. We had to have personal interactions. We had to rely on the old fashion paper notes that were passed back and forth (usually along a train of hands of others and you hoped it made it to it's destination). We also were stuck at home literally waiting by the phone for it to ring. How many hours were wasted just waiting? What happened if you lost the number or if the paper note got intercepted by someone other than it's target?
Fast forward to today and now we have cell phones with text and social media right on them and wow, can that cause problems. We now have instant gratification instead of anticipation. We are no longer tethered to a wall in our homes waiting for the phone to ring. We can get instant messages, know where someone is at any given time, and reach out and touch someone at the drop of a pin. This, however, creates a whole new set of annoyances, problems and misunderstandings.
Fast forward to today and now we have cell phones with text and social media right on them and wow, can that cause problems. We now have instant gratification instead of anticipation. We are no longer tethered to a wall in our homes waiting for the phone to ring. We can get instant messages, know where someone is at any given time, and reach out and touch someone at the drop of a pin. This, however, creates a whole new set of annoyances, problems and misunderstandings.
It's funny how times change yet the problems never do and just like bell-bottom jeans and tie-dyes they seem to come around for a rebirth with a twist. Technology has removed the ability to wait for something good. With the new era of instant everything, instant potatoes, instant coffee, speed dating, instant families, on-demand television, etc., we no longer get to enjoy the anticipation, waiting eagerly for something you want to happen. Technology has in essence removed our ability to patiently wait. We expect everything NOW.
Don't go somewhere with no reception or leave your phone somewhere or let it run out of juice because you will be accused of ignoring someone or giving them the silent treatment. Parents freak (at least that's what my kids accuse me of) if their texts or calls are not answered in a timely fashion because we think something horrible had to have happened for our kids not to answer. Throw this into the already complicated world of dating and this causes a multitude of other problems, especially to already insecure people who automatically assume the worst regardless of the real reasons. Trust issues rear their ugly heads with a vengeance, instantly.
I almost forgot the elephant in the room. You can't take back what's typed (OK, tapped into the media device) once it is sent. We tap and tap and make sentences that are just like words on a piece of paper. Unless written with the right tone and context, they can be misread causing more problems. You can't hear the voice of the writer, you are left to assume you understand the comment. Our emotions play a big part in how we read things as well. No longer can you send something with a smirk or meant as a joke because without the facial expression or tone of voice to go with it, it can come across as mean or snarky. Someone decided to add emojis to the mix and while they can be fun, they don't always work in helping relay the message. In the dating world, these misunderstandings can mean the end.
Some days I wish we could go back to when times were simpler, when we weren't sitting in our houses surfing the net for date-worthy profiles to swipe right on, living vicariously through Facebook and Instagram and watching life pass us by. A time when we were meeting people face-to-face and having meaningful conversations and learning about each other without electronics and gadgets in our way. When we were going out and experiencing life and seeing the world with our own eyes instead of computer screens. I guess a lot of the same problems existed they were just not as 'in our faces' as they are in today's world of instant everything. Some days...I think I should be a hermit.
Ugh!
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