Are We All Just Robots?

I’m starting to think that the movies we watched as kids, those sci-fi depictions of what people would be like in the future, is actually our current reality.  We really are heartless robots walking around all day long looking down at our phones… yet not responding to anyone.  I’m starting to think that’s the only real relationship anyone has any more… if it’s not the only, it’s certainly the most important; the one between hand and phone.

But this is not news to anyone, we’ve all become addicted, I get it, and I’ve been just as guilty.   This has been annoying kids, daters, spouses for the last decade.   The thing that I see changing is that now people are not only ignoring the living breathing person in front of them in favor of their phone, they are also ignoring half the people on their phone too.

So when you used to be able to pick up the phone and call a friend, now you only get voicemail.  Where you used to be able to have a text convo, now you can’t get a response for hours or days if at all.   You used to be able to get a response from a Facebook message, or a comment on social media or a reply to an email….GOOD FUCKING LUCK NOW!!!

Now no one can be bothered to interact.  

Why is this so annoying you ask?? Because people still have their phones in their hand!! It’s not like they’ve found a magical way to unplug or detach from the device. No they have just detached from person to person interaction of any kind.

Our smart phones have so much crap on them that people spend their day playing on their apps, when a few years ago they spent it texting/messaging actual people.  Now they can be on the phone and interact with no one. They can scroll through Instagram all day but not actually comment/like their real life friends posts.  They can happily accepts your likes and comments, but can’t be bothered to return the gesture.  They can look at Facebook all day, but not interact or post. They can Tinder all day, but not strike up an actual interesting conversation.

I’m starting to believe people have become heartless, emotionless, insensitive, rude, detached robots.  It’s easy to block people out, or not respond because it’s just a message on your phone, right?  But I think we’ve forgotten that in doing so over and over again, you’re actually destroying real life friendships, relationships, loyalty, respect, bonds and trust.  Things I grew up believing were a necessary part of being a good human being.

Maybe it’s just me.  Maybe all my –friends, family, clients, business partners, coworkers, associates– maybe all of them have decided in the last year that they can’t stand me.  And if that’s the case cool, I stand corrected.  But I have a feeling that it’s not just me.  No one is responsive these days.  The cold truth is that no one gives a shit anymore.   People don’t care about how their actions affect anyone else.

Everyone is busy.  Blah Blah Blah.  I hate it when I get that excuse from people, I want to send them a breakdown of my day and be like… really? Top that!  Yet I still took the time to reach out to you, to check on you, to put effort into keeping in touch and good old fashioned communication.

At what point will enough be enough? When will we stop to realize that the millions of ways we receive messages from people who don’t matter to us are destroying the relationships with the people who do? That all the apps in the world won’t replace a real life shoulder to cry on.  When will we stop being so isolated in our own head that we take a minute to actually draw on human emotion.  Connect with someone real, tell someone who is important to us that they matter? In a real way, not a social media bullshit way?

They say chivalry is dead.  Well honey, it’s so dead that I had to look up the meaning of the word! It’s  non-existent!  But is human decency also dead?  Is human connection in any form, a thing of the past? Will my kids never know what that’s like? Where are the acts of kindness, and human interaction that I knew growing up?

It seems impossible to build or maintain a relationship or connection with anyone anymore.  I’m praying that this trend reverses, and that people learn to shut out the noise. If it doesn’t, I shutter to think what the future holds for our children.

 

Time to ditch the unresponsive robots.

It’s all just too much.  It makes you cynical after a while.  And I guess you can say I’m there.   Because speaking for myself, I believe I’ve hit my limit.  I’m now cutting people out of my life who can’t be bothered to invest anything into our relationship.  All the one-sided friendships/mentorship/client relationships, whatever with whom ever…. I’m done.  Goodbye to unresponsive robots.  I’m over it. I’m exhausted.  I’m going to save the little energy I have left and invest it into my kids and the few people in my life who show they care.  And take the time to show my kids how to be connected, kind, responsive, decent human beings.