GREENSBORO, N.C. — It is time for 'My 2 Cents.'
I am over virtual communication. I'm tired of it. I do not want to do another interview over FaceTime. Or a company meeting over Zoom. I have reached my limit and one more may push me over the edge.
Now, let me backtrack. I am grateful for the technology. If this pandemic would have happened twenty years ago, none of this would have been possible. More people would have lost their jobs and we'd feel much less connected. In addition, I'm still not comfortable meeting strangers face to face or being in a large group - and this technology helps me do my job and avoid those interactions.
Still, I dread sending another invite to a virtual gathering or having to see my friends and coworkers in their little Brady Bunch style boxes instead of face to face.
Humans are social creatures. We need that in person interaction to be happy. A 2015 study says that regular face-to-face communication cuts the risk of depression in adults by half. Video, phone and email correspondence don't have the same effect. And it may have taken four months of talking through a screen but I am starting to really feel the frustration that a lack of socialization can create.
I am ready for the day when I can sit down across from another human and have a conversation without having to worry about someone getting sick. I am ready for those meetings in the workplace that could have been emails.
Technology has helped us navigate this pandemic and stay productive but I'll be glad when I can hang up virtual calls for good.
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