(Un)Human Relations

(Text originally written in August 2018)

I am sure you will agree with me when I say that we live in the times where we are constantly over-connected digitally and under-connected in our most important relationships. The human relationships. Or at least the ones which are considered human by default. 

The other day I was having lunch alone in a restaurant and I did what I enjoy doing most in these situations: I watched the people sitting at the other tables. What a great spot to observe the humanity! And what a great opportunity to realize that we can easily become the technology slaves... There was a couple at a table in front of me who did something which simply astonished me. I was like: Whaaaat?! Once the waiter brought their big platter with the seafood (it looked pretty amazing though!), they both stood up and each of them made a picture of it with their own phone. I almost fell off my chair, asking myself: why the heck couldn’t they make this photo with just one phone and then send it to each other? I mean, that’s what I would do. I tend to keep my phone away in my bag when I am having a meal with somebody, and I am not crazy about “food porn” either, so I would let the other person do the pic if she really wants to. Well, unless I am on holidays with my best friend and I am the one responsible for capturing all the moments we spend together. That would be different, right?

There were not many people at the restaurant that day, but I did notice another behavior, this one not involving technology though. There was one couple, in their fifties I guess, who would barely talk to each other during the whole meal. At some point I thought: thank God they are there to eat and can at least exchange a bit about each course they are both having. Because, honestly, each time they were waiting for the waiter to bring the food, there was a complete silence at their table. Personally I found that scary! I remember texting a friend, explaining the whole situation, and saying that I would not like to end up my in a couple life like this. I had already known that my future life partner would have to be somebody with whom I would never get bored and could spend hours just talking, but that lunch was a striking confirmation: I DEFINITELY don’t want that kind of life for myself!