Can it really be? Are we really becoming human again?
I grew up in a world of face-to-face and voice-to-voice. I had to call my boss (and actually speak to him or her) if I was going to be late. I spent hours at trade shows and sales meetings and learning how to shake hands and do live presentations and read body language and focus on people's eyes and voices.
I taught three social media workshops last week and I noticed some truly amazing things...many people were doing what we used to call "active listening," as opposed to checking their devices while I spoke. And, the biggest shock of all was when a 20-something woman asked if she could get the names and e-mail addresses of the other attendees so they could keep in touch afterwards. The groups stood around and chatted after the workshop. The sounds of laughter and animated conversations filled the room.
Perhaps we're finally seeing the pendulum swing a bit. No text or tweet or status update can replace a wink, a nod, a guffaw, or a chortle. (LOL doesn't count.)
Welcome back people. I missed you!