There was a time not so long ago when we as humans would approach one another.
Yes, physically approach another person. Whether at work or on the train or out in public. We would actually walk up to them and ask them out. Believe me it's true, we would ask them out on a date! I know, hard to believe right. No need for a "social network" or a computer generated match. All you needed was a set of balls, either literally or figuratively and the ability to speak to another person without stammering or drooling on yourself.
What happened? Why have we as a species suddenly begun to lose the instinctual drive to find a mate au natural? I blame a great deal of our issues on not only technological advances but on the news media as well.
The technological side is pretty straightforward. Technology advances, driving us indoors and our socialization skills begin to falter. We don't notice though because we're each in our own little cocoons.
Days turn into months which turn into years and we begin to crave socialization again. Unfortunately to allow us out of its grasp would weaken technologies stranglehold on us so instead here comes along a way to socialize without leaving your cocoon. That can't last long though so technology advances again and gives us the ability to put on a set of headphones and take our self contained cocoon into public without having to interact with anyone else on a personal level. Because of this not only has our ability to socialize romantically begun to falter but so has our ability at one on one interactions in all aspects of life. When you live by nanoseconds in your virtual cocoon every human interaction outside of it becomes a disappointment because they take to long.
So now as a species we're not only losing the ability to hunt and gather on a nutritional level but on a physical level as well. Need dinner at 2am, order online! Want some new shoes or clothes, order online! Need/want whatever the hot toy is, order online! Want to get laid, go online and pull up some porn either live or recorded and finish up alone in twenty mins without ever having to interact with an actual person.
That's just what technology has done to us and that seems like enough but the final nail in our proverbial coffin I feel comes from the news media. Someone once told me "I don't watch the news because they only show the bad side"
He was right, if you want to hear spooky campfire tales about the bogeyman just turn on the news, read it online or (if you can find one) open a paper. For years now they've used scare tactic reporting to turn us into frightened lambs. We've grown so jaded from the years of shock media influence that any person asking for anything, no matter how sincere, is viewed as a con artist, or thief, or murderous, psychopath, rapist hellbent on deflowering the family dog. We've become so frightened that we all have to be indoors by the time the streetlights come on. Pistol in one hand cell phone in the other with 9-1 dialed and the home invasion alarm set. Women stand at the ready hand on pepper spray set to douse anyone who even so much as says bless you when they sneeze convinced the person has ulterior motives. Any darkened street or alleyway takes an added degree of terror for male and female alike all convinced that there's a roving gang of hooligans hiding behind every dumpster.
Well it's time to shut out the news, turn off your electronics and take a deep breath. Are there people out there wishing to do you harm or take what you have YES. I'm not going to lie to you but are they hiding behind every corner no. Use your common sense, take off your headphones and try smiling at the person across from you on the bus/train/sidewalk wherever. You might get some weird looks at first but overtime this will catch back on too. Smile people the world aint that scary!
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