Human interaction

摘要

There seems to be an increasing number of academic studies and press articles highlighting the growth of loneliness in the UK. What I found most surprising was just how much of an issue loneliness is becoming for young professionals. Various reasons are cited including an increased reliance on digital and virtual friendships, via social media. I look back to the 1970s when my Uncle emigrated to Australia and we eagerly awaited a cassette tape with the "latest news from down under - latest being at least 6 weeks old due to the time it took to arrive by. Access to mobile communications means that those days are long gone. It is great to be able to contact our friends and family instantaneously from almost anywhere, sharing photos and video, as well as chatting. But even with such a vast array of communications devices and apps, it seems that the virtual world is no substitute for human interaction. We are social beings and we seem to have a need for some form of community.