The Power of Face to Face: Looking for Balance

Last October, we witnessed the global launch of SpaceX’s Starlink satellites , a project behind which is Elon Musk, the disruptive president of Tesla, whose goal is to offer broadband internet globally.

This transcendent fact undoubtedly made me think of the benefits of “being more and better connected”, but also of the dilemmas that arise with the global interconnection that began more than half a century ago with the emergence of the internet and the social media .

One of these dilemmas, in my opinion the most dramatic, is the one referring to the exponential growth of digital interpersonal relationships versus the low quality of real interactions, superficiality, banality and deception.

To this day, the discussion that occupies the minds of many neuroscientists and professionals in the behavioral sciences is about How has interconnectivity impacted the way we relate to each other?

Everything is in balance 

Today I want to turn my eyes to this issue that worries me greatly : The low quality and the real distortion of human interactions. I think it is imperative to seek a balance and an awakening of consciousness in the new generations about the extraordinary experience of sharing and living together effectively, of connecting through the senses and communicating 360 ° joining gesture and word, after all leading our communications entails charge us to be more effective.

The cost of “100% online” is loneliness

Do it online! Buy it from home! Certificate online ! 100% digital platform. Today, you can buy even the unimaginable on the net, you can study whatever you want, at the level you want and in the modality you choose! You can even get married. You can make your whole life in front of the screen of your personal computer and alone!

This value offer that sells immediacy, comfort and little effort , brings benefits in cost reduction and scope, which is why it has been the panacea for many technology services companies, universities to compete in the global market.

 

And what is the cost that society has paid before so much wonder? I believe the loss of the actual interaction. The possibility of genuinely connecting in the nourishing dance of communication where the conscious touch, the power of the gaze, the richness of perceiving smells, the possibility of detecting the texture, the vividness of the color … these elements are no longer present. There is no real connection! In the end we are all disconnected, we live in virtual reality in which the most common diseases are loneliness and dehumanization.

I am in favor of digital, I find it extraordinary and fascinating , but I also advocate the necessary balance, to be sensitive and to seek options to promote real experiences, genuine connections. Combining the virtual with the face-to-face on the platforms is the key to having a life of integrity and rich in experiences.

Meeting in a cafe to discuss a business proposal, where we can look at each other’s faces , is not comparable to doing it through a conference call. Although it may seem comfortable to study from bed, losing the pleasure of sitting in a classroom, even for a few hours, and interacting directly with your trainers, is priceless. Feeling the scent of the man or woman you like, looking at their eyes, can add a lot to making a decision for a lifetime.

Like the ones I mentioned, there are many more examples that validate my point of view. How about we stop for a few minutes to think a little about this? it pays off when it comes to increasing our quality of life.…