Change - how we communicate

One of the biggest impact the digital age has had on our lives is in the area of communication. Because of the Internet and smartphones we no longer really talk to each other face-to-face. We text, we message, we email, we even use videoconferencing but, we don't really talk to each other face-to-face anymore. I know that is a shame because frankly we miss out on so much when we don't talk to each other face-to-face. On the other hand, it is what it is. The genie has been let out of the bottle and it's not going back in. I for one am not going to give up my iPhone any day soon. I doubt very many others would give up their smartphones either. The way we now communicate is here to stay.

I have noticed one thing though. I actually communicate with my family members more than I did in the past. In the past if I wanted to contact my wife, I had to wait till I got home. Now I just just send her a text or an email and she responds rather quickly. Granted, how we communicate is not very deep, but I do talk to her more during the day than I ever did before. I could say the same thing for the rest of my family members. I guess you can conclude that the quality of our communication probably is not as it was, but the quantity is greater. Maybe that might not be a bad thing overall.

What do you think?

Reading - Changing habits

My reading habits have drastically changed. I used to be a voracious book reader. I used to read several books a week. I no longer read that way. Now I spend my time reading headlines or headings and skimming the rest of whatever I am reading. I can't remember the last time I finished reading a whole book. Why did my reading habits change? I am not sure, but have a couple of ideas. I think reading on the internet has changed the way I read. Text on the internet is meant to be read quickly. Lots of headlines, headings, and bullet points. I have also become increasingly aware of how much "filler" and "padding" there is in books. I just want to get to the point as soon as possible. Finally, I think my age is finally showing. I just do not have the patience I used to have. So are my new reading habits bad? There are some that would say yes, but I just think they are different. They way I am now reading is neither bad nor good. It's just the way I read.

What do you think?