I was talking to my grandmother the other day, and I was about to say something along the lines of, "Isn't that funny? Hashtag awkward." Luckily, I stopped myself just in time. But after thinking about that for a while, I was puzzled how that particular phrase had made its way into the vocabulary.
The interesting part about that is this: I don't have a Twitter account. I was actually proud of that fact too, proud of my restraint in not giving in to technology, especially what I considered "dumb" technology. When, in fact, I just did.
Technology has such a profound effect on this digital generation, and yet, earlier generations do not seem to welcome this new technology. Communicating has become so different, which is why there is tension between the generations. We are used to an instant response, emoticons, and distance between the communicators. We are used to writing 140 characters or less, not thoughtful letters to the editor, which my grandmother told me she and her friends did if they had a complaint.
This change in communication affects all of us, even those unwilling to use Facebook or Twitter or Instagram. If we do not learn to talk to and understand earlier generations, their voices will be lost. Our communication gap must be bridged through interpersonal relationships, which can be strengthened by technology, but can only be formed through love. We need a relationship to work with or without technology, but the key is INDEPENDENCE FROM TECHNOLOGY.
As people, our mission is to love people well. Love, unlike many people's actions, is not passive. It is easy to like someone from afar, but making a point to get to know someone and loving them anyway is actual love. We show our love for others by communicating with them, and obviously, communicating with them well.
Technology can either be a detriment to relationships or it can strengthen them; it depends on the user. However, show your love for others by attempting to communicate with them well in whatever way that you must. People deserve to be treated like people, not machines.
Sarah, this is really thoughtful-- and pinpoints the ways that not only our vocabulary, but also our paradigms for communication have shifted! I am similarly proud of my ability to use twitter-lingo even though I don't use twitter... it's an ironic place of feeling superior but also wanted to prove that we are aware and 'up' on the lingo. Strange, and unsettling! You do a good job of raising questions about how to maintain our humanity even though technology is increasingly reshaping how we connect to others.
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