2016: A modern world that we live in

Hi,

This world, the one that we live in, the one that surrounds us, the one that we've taken for granted, is changing, quickly. Whether we accept it or deny it, like it or dislike it, care about it or don't, it's happening every day; every moment; right now. 'Facebook me'; 'Check your Instagram'; 'I just tweeted this'; are becoming more and more popular and people drain their time and energy doing all this. But that is not what concerns me. The thing that bothers me the most is how frustratingly solitary it is making us. Don't take my statement in the wrong way, I do all these things as well, but for a limited time of my day. There are more ways of communication right now that did't exist some years ago, but the actual communication has decreased quite a lot.

It disturbs me that people don't get how improper, disrespectful and most of all insulting it is, when they are invested in their smartphones when I'm talking with them. Even while watching a movie, playing a party game, sitting at a restaurant and sometimes even while just sitting at home and talking, they take out their precious phone and start seeing photos of an Instagram model or play a mobile game. Has it become that much important to keep up with all the Hollywood and celebrity world news and gossip that it has surpassed the priority of talking with another human being? People have become distant and introvert at a degree that they prefer to be unaccompanied even when they're with a company of their friends or family. People seem to have given more importance towards watching a TV show instead of reaching out to an old friend and ask 'How the hell are you? or What's going on with your life?'.

I have friends that always seem to constantly 'Whatsapp' someone. So, they are talking with some other person, who is away from them, while ignoring the one right beside them. Cool (I wonder who they're with, when they are talking to me on Whatsapp - That poor bastard!). Also, sometimes I'm sitting at a restaurant with friends and most of them are looking at their smartphones and/or talking with someone else on the phone. ISTHISREALLIFE?! I am genuinely happy and thankful that I spent a childhood without all this. The reason sometimes I miss my old friends is because I spent quality time with them. We played, we ate, we went out, we watched movies, and did all those things together, and didn't do all those things so that we can post photos on Facebook or Twitter. Nowadays doing things together feels like doing things 'together separately'. On a travel, people are busy taking photos on their phones so much, that they miss the actual moment. Even while out in wilderness, all they care is if their cell is getting a network or not.

People have become so pretentious and unreal that they try to present their best selves to other people they don't know, but act obnoxiously with their loved ones; so self-centered that all they care about is 'me' and 'my'; so busy bettering themselves to keep up with the world that they don't care about anything else or anyone else prior to themselves.

I hope one day people become aware of this and start caring more about their surroundings and other human beings surrounding them; start asking 'Hey pal, how have you been' to their friends instead of finding out what's the name of a Hollywood celebrity's dog; stop spending all of their time,energy and money on themselves and start investing in a relationship with others; start taking calls and start calling back upon seeing a missed call; start caring for others as much as they care for their pet dogs. I hope in this pinnacle of technology there comes an epiphany to enable us all to care for each other. I hope.
- FF