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> The two make us feel more connected, more global, but I think it makes us more isolated. My wife and I had this discussion the other day. Messaging or posti

> The two make us feel more connected, more global, but I think it makes us more isolated. My wife and I had this discussion the other day. Messaging or posting on FB or whatever is very flat. There's no depth to it at all. It doesn't replace hearing a loved one's voice or looking into their eyes or hugging them or even having a meal with them. When you go and you visit them and you see them, you realize how much you're missing and, yeah, it feels very isolating to realize that. Social media is a facade.

QualityReboot 8y ago
Maybe so, but when I'm done with work, I hang out with my bros and play games on Discord (before that it was Ventrilo/Mumble/TeamSpeak). It may not be face to face interaction, but we're super social and it's great for us. We're always meeting new people and having new voice interactions, which at least for me, is as good (or better) than hanging out IRL. It's still nice to meet up sometimes, but definitely not needed to avoid loneliness. It's not like I touch my friends much when we're meeting up IRL anyway, and voice is more comfortable to me than being on video (or being visible irl), as I don't have to think about how I carry myself. Tons of gamers do this and I don't think many of them are in the "lonely" camp. I'm not sure why voice channels haven't seen wider adoption outside of gaming.
magduf 8y ago
In my last relationship, almost all our communication when we weren't together was by text. She really had no interest in talking on the phone. When she finally decided to dump me, she did it by text, and refused to meet in person or even talk on the phone about it.
tootie 8y ago
Social media interactions don't replace that though. Previously, if I wasn't hearing their voices or seeing their faces, then I wasn't interacting with them at all. Now I can at least see little glimpses into their lives without having to get on a plane.

QualityReboot 8y ago

Maybe so, but when I'm done with work, I hang out with my bros and play games on Discord (before that it was Ventrilo/Mumble/TeamSpeak). It may not be face to face interaction, but we're super social and it's great for us. We're always meeting new people and having new voice interactions, which at least for me, is as good (or better) than hanging out IRL. It's still nice to meet up sometimes, but definitely not needed to avoid loneliness. It's not like I touch my friends much when we're meeting up IRL anyway, and voice is more comfortable to me than being on video (or being visible irl), as I don't have to think about how I carry myself. Tons of gamers do this and I don't think many of them are in the "lonely" camp. I'm not sure why voice channels haven't seen wider adoption outside of gaming.

magduf 8y ago

In my last relationship, almost all our communication when we weren't together was by text. She really had no interest in talking on the phone. When she finally decided to dump me, she did it by text, and refused to meet in person or even talk on the phone about it.

tootie 8y ago

Social media interactions don't replace that though. Previously, if I wasn't hearing their voices or seeing their faces, then I wasn't interacting with them at all. Now I can at least see little glimpses into their lives without having to get on a plane.