Hello, how are you today?
Do you ever wonder why we ask others this cliche question? This may seem obvious, we are expected to take an interest in others because we were taught this from a young age. The old saying goes, “Treat others as you would want to be treated.” However, do we really take the time to get to know others on more than a superficial level? Very few individuals take the time to make a genuine connection with others. In today’s society, there is the normal tendency to spend a certain amount of time on some form of social media. Should I update my Facebook Status? Perhaps I should take a photograph of something “interesting,” and post it on Instagram with a well-worded caption to garner little red hearts from my followers. That’s definitely not enough, I also have to strategically form a sarcastic remark to post on Twitter about some current event.
Social media has its benefits, but it also comes with drawbacks. It causes us to isolate ourselves from interacting with others in-person, while creating a tolerance of virtual reality. In-person interaction is more powerful. On the contrary, social media interactions can be edited, superficial, and self-centered. We can pick and choose what we want to present to others, showing only the best of ourselves. There is nothing wrong with trying to be the best that you can. However, we are multi-layered individuals that are composed of good and bad characteristics, not just one-dimensional.
We need to be aware of how much time we spend sitting with our eyes glued to a computer screen or with our fingers frantically tapping against a cell phone. Instead, we need to develop the habit of truly getting to know others. This is not always easy. To successfully get to know another person, it is vital to be an active listener. Not everyone has this skill because there a major difference between hearing something and listening. I am sure we have all had a conversation with someone else who was obviously not listening to us, we could see it in their eyes, their body language, and their one worded responses: “Yes,” or “Okay.” Instead of taking this lackadaisical approach, we need to actively listen to others.
Simply put, we need to start to unplug from all of the distractions that are around us if they are replacing in-person interaction with others. If we find ourselves consumed with social media, we need to tone it down a bit so we do not miss the world around us.