Are We Really Connected at this Age of Social Media?

Naaalala ko pa noong unang panahon, na nagre-record pa kami sa cassette tape para ipadala sa Tito namin na Seaman abroad, kung hindi magpadala ng messages na on cassette, nagpapadala ng pagkahaba-habang letter na nasa yellow pad with 6 pages bilang way of communication sa mga loved ones working overseas. Mga tatlong linggo pa bago ma-receive at another tatlong linggo bago makuha ung sagot na letter ng tito namin. Napakatagal bago ma-receive ang sagot ng bawat isa.

 

Ang mahal pa ng tawagan! Di pa uso ang email at instagram. Ngayon, you can spend hours on skype, videochat kayo ng walang sawa, nakikita niyo pa ang isa't isa, sampung piso lang isang oras sa internet cafe!

Now just two decades after, nag evolve na ang internet na nkakapag-skype na, or videochat, at ngayon ang very popular social media via FB or twitter. We are more connected with each other wherever you are in the world in just a matter of “buzz”, “photo posts”, “likes” and “tweets”.

It is faster now to find a long lost friend via FB just by searching their name, or looking at Mutual friends. Or how amazing we can send any urgent message in seconds or in minutes lang? Meron ngang missing persons na napicturan at na spread by sharing, at nakapag-reunite sa asawa niya after very long years! Grabe, my generation is so blessed with all these digital technology.

However no matter how connected we seem to be in the digital world, I kind of feel to have lost touch with the quality time of a real friendship or a relationship must be. Iba pa rin ang face-to-face bonding, and really going out of your way to hear the voice of another person, and made that effort of calling to greet birthday messages and so forth. I still prefer to hear a person on the other line greeting me birthday wishes, than getting a Wall post. I still prefer an in-person visit in the hospital than wishing me well on an injured day. Though it’s the thought that still counts, a little bit of effort makes things extra special.

You may buy and send flowers-online to deliver kapag out of the country sa inyong Nanay na nasa Hongkong, or you can hire a singing telegram to greet a Happy Birthday ang inyong Wife sa probinsiya for a change or You can surprise them on their birthday with a video-greet or a fruit basket on a sick day.

Oh My! I like it, parang these examples are good business ideas to serve people and build a company of delivering happiness to the faces of our loved-ones who are miles apart! The entrepreneur in me gets me thinking... hmmm..

Great solutions to strive to put some novelty in our digital life.

And that’s what we should always do to improve our relationship with our family or peers on a Digital “Connected” Age. Let’s connect with more heart, with more effort.