Make it personal
One of the more
telling results was that a vast majority of respondents said they
were going to spend more personal, face-to-face time with their
friends, relatives and colleagues and would not overly rely on
social media tools and other impersonal communications
methods. The emotional impact was readily evident.
It really struck a
chord with me. Fortunately, not many in the world have faced such a
major catastrophe, but it is a reminder that we shouldn't forget
about the need to interact in person.
An article
published earlier this year by
Psychology Today reminded readers that human beings are social
animals. And while Twitter, Facebook and other social networking
fulfills our need for communication, there has been a noticeable
paradigm shift thanks to the lack of face-to-face interactions.
All in all, we
can't let our computers and smart phones keep us from truly
connecting with each other. Whether that means leaders of
organizations create opportunities for more interaction or you
simply attend that family reunion you've been ignoring … it will
make for a better world. Get out of your office or condo and
instead of sending an email, go see someone in person. Connect
beyond the computer. I think you'll "like" it.