When I was growing up (in the 1970’s), we would often get together with my dad’s large family or my mom’s family. Kids, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins all spent a decent amount of time together.
Have I provided that experience to our kids? Not nearly to the same degree. I got to know my cousins much better than my daughter knows her cousins.
Esther Perel says, “Today, we turn to one person to provide what an entire village once did: a sense of belonging, identity, and continuity.”
Social media and the ubiquity of modern phones have exacerbated this societal shift. When people are glued to their screens, they don’t interact nearly as much with others in real life.
Is it any wonder people feel lonelier today than previously? Here’s where I notice this shift in my own life.
When I was a kid, everyone in our house would hear me practicing piano, and not everyone was happy about it. Today, I plug my headphones into a keyboard, and nobody else has to hear me practice playing songs.
So far, so good. But what about performing songs? I no longer play for a room full of family and friends. Now, I play for the camera on my phone. Then, I post the video where others can watch it at their convenience.
While some people still go to concerts in the real world, more often, people consume music online, without it being a communal experience. Instead of drinking alcohol at parties, people drink in the privacy of their own separate homes.
And something is lost.
Perhaps this happens anytime when something is gained.
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