How The Digital World Has Affected Our Relationships

Guest post by Denielle Tamayo

Ask yourself, when was the last time you had a conversation?

A real one, that is.

One without the use of whatever gadget the 21st century has to offer.

You know, the face-to-face interaction with a fellow human being; deep in depth with a specific topic, no pretensions, vivid facial expressions, crisp sound of laughter... the works.

When I was in college, one of my professors asked our class to draw what we would think humans would look like in the next century or so.

I found the question funny and, with childlike gusto, drew a "man" with a small body, short limbs, a very large head, huge eyes, dots for nostrils, hands with long fingers and no mouth at all in front of a wide screen desktop computer typing his heart out.

Thinking about it now, I don't think it's ridiculous at all.

With all the gizmos available for grabs, people forget how to really be with a real person. Everybody has a mobile phone, a computer is never out of reach, and every other person has earphones stuck in their ears to keep them company when stuck in traffic.

I see people texting while eating with family, talking to their teachers, reprimanding their kids. Heck, I sometimes find my husband in front of his laptop and myself in front of the iPad at night with my daughter asking both of us to shut our devices down for a cuddle!

Where has the human race gone?!

Sorry for my heightened emotions... all I want to say is this:

To all mankind: When with another human being – interact, be involved, converse, laugh, be in the moment, have a real relationship.