If you've ever taken an Uber (or any other share ride option) you have probably experienced what I'm about to talk about.... The silence! The awkwardness of knowing there are other people in the car but everyone acting like they are by themselves. You probably pulled your phone out to check your Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, etc for the twentieth time in a thirty second interval.
You're not alone. This is now the norm.
I have been driving with Uber/Lyft for almost 7 months now and I have experienced so many riders in these very shoes. The other day I had 4 strangers in the car at one time (a carpool). As they got in the car each one of them immediately pulled out their phones, even before putting their seatbelts on. I was astonished.
People just don't know how to interact anymore; how to have a good 'ole, small talk conversation and instead end up filling the void by creating things to do on their phones. They try at all costs to avoid the awkwardness instead of trying to move past the awkwardness by interacting.
Now let me clear something up... I am an extrovert! I am generally loud and obnoxiously nosey; I thrive when I am finding out information about people. BUT, there is just something about being in a car that calms me down. There is a mellowing effect that takes places. Ask anyone close to me who rides in cars with me often, I get quiet and pensive most times... it's weird lol!!! This doesn't mean I don't try to initiate conversations with my riders when they get in, it just means I'm not going to fight for your conversation when I could enjoy these quiet moments all the while knowing how uncomfortable and awkward the silence is making you. I know, I'm a little ornery. :)
But this blog is not even about me... well I guess in a way it is... it is about something I have learned through those awkwardly silent car rides. And something I feel we need to work on.
As a culture we have slimmed down the need for real life, human connecting and traded it in for robotized, overly processed, well rehearsed conversations via technology. And I feel like this is an issue.
You see, we were created for connection... yes, even you introverts who are reading this! And when I say connection I don't mean texts that took you thirty minutes to write and re-write and then remove anything that may be offensive (or in some people's cases, add things that are passive aggressive as to leave the text up for interpretation... yeah, I know that happens too!) Connecting is so much more than just words, it's body language and seeing raw, first responses to things. We have forgotten the importance of processing through life together. I feel as if this trading of people for technology is leading to us carrying so much more weight on our shoulders because everything has to be presented perfectly. We've forgotten how to have a conversation, filled with flaws, words said wrong, unprocessed ideas that others can become sand paper for and help us smooth our thoughts out... we've forgotten how humanity was supposed to be. We were supposed to be there for each other, supposed to encourage each other, be iron sharpening iron. We were never created to become robots who exist within themselves and the phones in their hands.
I'm sure you chat with some of the people you're closest to. I'm sure you have one or two people to in life that you open up to. But my warning is this... what is practiced most becomes habit. If we are habitual in turning to our phones instead of to each other now, what will the next generation look like?
I honestly don't mind a quiet ride in the car, but I can see past the car. I can see all the dinners where people are sitting around the table on their phones instead of enjoying each other. I can see the parent's on their phones while their children watch tv. I see us texting the people sitting 5 feet away from us. It doesn't just stop in the car. And I am hoping and praying that we will realize the problem with this technological epidemic and really work on learning how to love, interact, communicate, conflict with each other in a natural way again.
I wonder what problems might be solved if that happens? :)
