Gone are the days when people used to meet and update each other on their lives, sharing the ups and downs. The definition of ‘catching up’ has changed ever since the introduction of SMS, MSN, social media and now Whatsapp; a smartphone-to-smartphone instant messenger application and chat service.
Are we so absorbed in these gizmos and modern technologies we’ve forgotten the basics of communication and maintaining relationships with our loved ones? Recently, I was trying to get in touch with an old friend for a meet-up; I sent her a text message and getting no reply, I was feeling angst the whole day because my so-called good friend hadn’t replied. Yet, guess who’s the one at fault here? I’ve become so used to contacting my friends through short text messages and instant messaging that I forgot I could just pick the phone up and give her a ring!
New communication methods have largely changed and affected our relationships with our friends and family. I am not sure about you but it has certainly affected mine to a large extent. I used to receive birthday, greeting cards and wedding invitation cards via post and now of course, I get the greetings from facebook, short text messages and not even through emails. Particularly interesting is when we receive wedding invitations via facebook! Coming from a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic society where we still maintain many great traditions and in any rule book a wedding is deemed an important event that occurs once in every lifetime (supposedly) and yet the invitation is non-existent in the real world. Is social media threatening and diluting our traditions and cultures. What will we have left ten years down the road as everything shifts to social media and we will be building our relationships with lap tops and all other electronic devices.
Oh by the way are we connected on facebook?
I would like to invite you to my wedding….. can you please check that you have received my invitation in either your emails, mobile phones and perhaps your messages in Whatsapp?