It would seem that creating meaningful bonds or connections is not only wired into our design, it is essential to our survival. I wonder if in this digital age of communication, information sharing, and social networking, we are developing the type of meaningful connections necessary for the advancement and contentment of humanity and its environment.
I took an informal, unofficial, unscientific poll, asking whether or not social networking has helped or hindered ones’ abilities to make connections. Most everyone said that social networking both helped and hindered. People are able to reconnect with loved ones as well as make new friends, yet, they sometimes find that they have fewer meaningful interactions with others.
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Sometimes, what we see as connecting is really being in contact. As my brief research has shown, it is the quality of time that we spend engaging with others that forms the strongest bonds. So when clicking like, or making a brief comment (on some sites limited to 140 characters…including spaces!) just doesn’t seem to be enough, what can we do to really connect to one another?
Get in Their Face
Face to face communication provides more cues for better understanding and connection than social networking, texting, tweeting, emailing, or even phone conversations. When communicating face to face, you don't just have words, but you have the voice which conveys tone, inflection, and volume. There's also facial expressions like a smile, frown, raised eyebrows, etc. that aid in delivering a message. Let's not forget body language which is
particularly telling. One's words may say one thing, but their body language can tell an entirely different story. We also have to consider the environment you're in. Noises, smells, likes and dislikes can give clues about a person and can effect how they communicate. All of the emoticons in the world can't replace these cues.
Get together with friends and do something fun and different:
-Tourist for a Day
Your area is probably packed with attractions and adventures that you have overlooked. Take advantage of the tourist attractions in your town by picking a few in your area that you and your friends have not visited. These attractions could include landmarks, museums, tours and sporting events. Act like a tourist for the day, and take plenty of pictures with your friends
- Take a Class Together
Learn something new with your friends by signing up for classes. Take a few dance classes together---learn to salsa, break dance or belly dance. Or, sign up for a kickboxing or karate class together. These
Photo by Hossein Attar