Care enough to call?
The highlight of 2020 unfortunately has been the Corona virus pandemic. It's heartbreaking to see how this pain in the **** virus has affected millions of lives globally, flooded the hospitals and shaken the healthcare system to it's foundations. The lesser discussed issue(expected to follow in the next phase after unemployment) is the consequence of social isolation and it's effects on our mental well being.
Honestly, we weren't doing a great job staying connected (in the REAL SENSE) even before the pandemic. Of the million reasons there could be that caused us to be so disconnected from each other (despite the abundance of phones, accessible internet and Social media platforms literally at our finger tips), one of them is the general preference to text someone rather than calling.
Sharing jokes, memes, recipes, random videos/theories about anything and everything under the sun on Watsapp groups and food, baby, talent, travel and/or happy events' posts on Instagram/ Fb sum up our Social media usage. It's fun, provides instant gratification, gives us an illusion of being connected with the world and let's us move on with our lives.
However what has changed dramatically in the recent years is our ability to pick up the phone and make a quick call. The prerequisites to achieve a simple phone call are a dozen texts followed by a calendar invite before you can actually have your video call or regular phone call with your pals :D
Calling has been simply limited to parents, and siblings.. in some cases not even latter :P
Why?? People will go on and on typing hundreds of lines to communicate a simple message which could've been communicated in minutes over a phone call.
Conversations are healing, compassionate and give a better understanding of one's state of mind. They help connect on a more personal level. It's more soothing to hear those words than to read them. More importantly, we need these cozy conversations even more now..during this extraordinary period of social isolation where a touch or a hug is also against the law.
I feel that this culture of texting is a symptom of something more profound. Obviously a simple minded, old school person like me hasn't figured out what is causing this symptom :) The need to hide one's true emotions, the need to avoid feeling too attached to someone, the convenience of dodging some unnecessary questions in a chat than on a phone call or something deeper than this. I am not sure.
One thing I absolutely do not agree and can argue to death over is when people say that texts are more convenient than phone calls. To me, that's just an excuse. (It makes sense if you don't live in the same country. Time difference issue etc. This too is not impossible as Alexa/Google can calculate the time difference for you ;) )
I can put a call on speaker phone or use head phones and continue cooking a meal, do laundry, eat and what not. Texting requires both hands to be free which is a luxury for any parent, in my opinion :D
Anyway, the point is that it is okay to indulge in texting once in a while but if you really care for someone, just pick up your damn phone and call. Simple as that! Don't worry, you will not offend your true friends or close ones. Blame it on me if you want :D
Those who are worthy of your time, will only feel elated to hear your voice. If they happen to mention that they disliked it or found in "inconvenient", time to strike of that name from that friend list of yours ;)
I strongly believe that this this small change in the medium of communication you choose, to connect with your friends, can have an enormous, positive impact on your mental well being as well as your loved ones. (Sorry if this sounds cheesy or over-the-top.. but think about it)
There'll be more real smiles on the face than those emoticons in texts, more real laughter than "LOL or ROFLs".
Try it today, try it now and if you think it didn't make you or the one you called happier then feel free to call me. I'll happily accept the blame (No texts please! ;) )
Yours truly,
Honestly, we weren't doing a great job staying connected (in the REAL SENSE) even before the pandemic. Of the million reasons there could be that caused us to be so disconnected from each other (despite the abundance of phones, accessible internet and Social media platforms literally at our finger tips), one of them is the general preference to text someone rather than calling.
Sharing jokes, memes, recipes, random videos/theories about anything and everything under the sun on Watsapp groups and food, baby, talent, travel and/or happy events' posts on Instagram/ Fb sum up our Social media usage. It's fun, provides instant gratification, gives us an illusion of being connected with the world and let's us move on with our lives.
However what has changed dramatically in the recent years is our ability to pick up the phone and make a quick call. The prerequisites to achieve a simple phone call are a dozen texts followed by a calendar invite before you can actually have your video call or regular phone call with your pals :D
Calling has been simply limited to parents, and siblings.. in some cases not even latter :P
Why?? People will go on and on typing hundreds of lines to communicate a simple message which could've been communicated in minutes over a phone call.
Conversations are healing, compassionate and give a better understanding of one's state of mind. They help connect on a more personal level. It's more soothing to hear those words than to read them. More importantly, we need these cozy conversations even more now..during this extraordinary period of social isolation where a touch or a hug is also against the law.
I feel that this culture of texting is a symptom of something more profound. Obviously a simple minded, old school person like me hasn't figured out what is causing this symptom :) The need to hide one's true emotions, the need to avoid feeling too attached to someone, the convenience of dodging some unnecessary questions in a chat than on a phone call or something deeper than this. I am not sure.
One thing I absolutely do not agree and can argue to death over is when people say that texts are more convenient than phone calls. To me, that's just an excuse. (It makes sense if you don't live in the same country. Time difference issue etc. This too is not impossible as Alexa/Google can calculate the time difference for you ;) )
I can put a call on speaker phone or use head phones and continue cooking a meal, do laundry, eat and what not. Texting requires both hands to be free which is a luxury for any parent, in my opinion :D
Anyway, the point is that it is okay to indulge in texting once in a while but if you really care for someone, just pick up your damn phone and call. Simple as that! Don't worry, you will not offend your true friends or close ones. Blame it on me if you want :D
Those who are worthy of your time, will only feel elated to hear your voice. If they happen to mention that they disliked it or found in "inconvenient", time to strike of that name from that friend list of yours ;)
I strongly believe that this this small change in the medium of communication you choose, to connect with your friends, can have an enormous, positive impact on your mental well being as well as your loved ones. (Sorry if this sounds cheesy or over-the-top.. but think about it)
There'll be more real smiles on the face than those emoticons in texts, more real laughter than "LOL or ROFLs".
Try it today, try it now and if you think it didn't make you or the one you called happier then feel free to call me. I'll happily accept the blame (No texts please! ;) )
Yours truly,
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| Childhood pic just to make a point! :) |
Fantastic! Heart warming and so comforting article
ReplyDeleteStraight a way out of the heart .. very well written.
ReplyDelete:)
ReplyDeleteHeartwarming and comforting words and makes me connect with my dear ones now. Phone calls and not just text :)
ReplyDelete