In my daily life I meet a lot of different people from around the globe. I meet them both online and offline (in real). So you can imagine how many information I am getting on different subjects. But in this blog article I will stick my pen on talking about CONNECTION in the era of the Digital Revolution.
Technology yields a paradox. On the one hand, we are becoming more autonomous in our lives thanks to innovations and we create our own kingdoms in which we feel safe and feel stronger. For example, look at our online empowerment to address companies for injustice or inconvenience. Airlines are fighting against this with complete ‘smart help desks’ that monitor all comments on social media in order to satisfy customers. Or think of youthful smartphone users who shut themselves off for hours a day by staring obsessively at a screen, but at the same time chatting with a friend on the other side of the world. And what about our individual mobility that has increased in recent decades, that distance seems to be only a minor obstacle;
These are, at first glance, moderately positive developments. Where the other side of the paradox brings more optimism, in the increasing connection that the same technique enables us. In the medical world, surgeons help each other to operate remotely, with or without the help of a robot for precision work. Lawyers can unwind their routine jobs with new software in no time and thus have more time to show empathy for the client. Communication technology brings people, who used to barely have contact, now with word and image together, while language barriers are dismantled by an online translation application.
This theme is about the new connections that the modern digital world brings us, without wanting to write off the analog world. On the contrary, retro is even hip. And no matter how beautiful the technological developments may be, an arm of a robot around your shoulder feels – for the time being – different than a warm, analogue hug.
Finally I like to share the following with you my dear audience from around the world:
Communication is not about sending and receiving but about understanding and connecting.
