Recently a woman was walking her child to the school across the street. She was walking ahead and looking at the phone. If the child had turned and walked away from her would she have noticed? How involved do we become with our technical gadgets and ignore real people around us? What elements separate us from them?
I have noticed when people communicate with each other there are elements that cause various degrees of separation between them. People use words and sometimes visual cues to convey meaning to another. There is no element of separation when we speak directly to another person or group of people. All are present in the same space. All can hear and all can see the speaker.
Elements that disconnect begin when the physical distance between them increases. When people are close it is easy to hear the other and to see facial expressions and gestures. Physical distance means the speaker’s voice must be louder and the gestures broader and more exaggerated, facial expressions can get lost. Physical distance introduces elements of separation such as the need for a microphone and amplification system and the Sound Man. These are present and make a separation between speaker and hearer. Still greater physical distance may require the use of a large video screen, and the use of cameras, cameramen and attendant engineers. From simple speaking together we have introduced microphones, speakers, amplifiers, cameras and a number of technicians, perhaps also directors and producers. We have introduced into personal conversation elements of separation, disconnection.
Once these elements are in place the listener does not even have to be present at the same place as the speaker. He can watch a video in another room, another building, another state, another country. He does not even have to hear or see the communication at the time when it occurs; he can listen or watch later, perhaps much later, perhaps never. He requires something in between: a radio, a TV, a video, CD player or theatre projector and screen. He can be rude and does not have to worry about talking while the speaker is talking or worry about walking out of the room.
An originator could also write something. He could write an essay, a book, an email. All these are tangible elements between the writer and the reader. Unless there are illustrations, charts, maps, or pictures there is only text. There will be no live visual cues or voice inflections to help the meaning. The text must be clear, and the reader must have a certain level of education to interpret and understand the text.
If a phone is between the speaker and the listener, the element of voice inflection and volume is added back into the conversation. Speaker phones add a limited number of participants to each side. Video calls and Facetime add in the visual possibilities of communication. Zoom calls visually add in many people located in diverse places. With all these things comes the requirement for technical devices – other elements between speaker and listener.
One-on-one phone calls or speaker phone calls, video calls, Facetime, Zoom calls, texting, and “chats” are all “live” communications, they happen in real time. Other kinds are not “live”, like movies, TV shows, emails, letters, books. These all introduce elements separation, disconnection, between the originator and those watching and listening. One cannot speak or signal back to the originator. The “one-wayness” of them isolates the participant. Emails are unlike “chats” because no one is there for immediate interaction. A replier to an email does not know if the sender is available to respond at the time the reply email is sent.
A recent article I saw said “NVIDIA’s Software Will Make Your Eyes Look at Your Webcam”. This introduces an unreal, software manufactured element between the communicator and communicant. The “eyes” become a software manipulated digital deception.
How much do each of us allow elements of separation to isolate us from real people? Do we look at our phones in restaurants? Do we while away our day on Facebook? Is our interaction with the outside world on Netflix or YouTube? Are we satisfied with “chats”? Do we look at our phones while walking our child to school?
