Hey there! I have an interesting topic this week.

This is completely an opinion based thing and there may or may not be a right answer. Either way I feel that our society is starting to miss the boat with some very valuable skills that should have been picked up by now. It may go without saying but I am generalizing here. Not everyone or everything is like this but I feel like more often than not these things are happening.

I grew up with a computer. When I was about four I was introduced to one and they were very ancient things. Windows was not even out yet. Cell phones were car phones only and were sized like a brick. When I was in high school people still seemed normal. People used technology but it wasn’t fast or instant. The answers to some questions were only attainable by asking someone.

I remember a distinct change in how people started acting when smart phones, YouTube and social media came to fame. I consider technology to be a very useful thing, especially in the private investigation business. We use it on a daily basis. I use technology on a daily basis also in my personal life. But I do believe that valuable social skills have been completely lost in part of my generation (millennials).  I expect this decline in social skills to continue to worsen.

If you have a question or need to find out how to do something, go to YouTube and you will have access to millions of videos. Do you need to contact someone? Send them a text message. Don’t even worry about calling or meeting them. Do you need to see whats going on in someones life or post something about your own? Turn to Twitter or Facebook and other social networks. Are you going on vacation? Book online, instantly, anywhere you want to go. Once you arrive at your destination call Uber for a quick drive to your hotel and to other attractions. Need to check your bank balance? There’s an app for that. Hungry? Why not get food delivered in 30 minutes from whatever restaurant you want by GrubHub or BiteSquad.

Patience is a virtue.

Did you notice a trend? All of the above things elicit instant or very quick responses. Technology has made our lives incredibly easy. While here is a LOT of good that comes from technology, I think that, as a society, we’re missing something important. Some of the best things in life are worth waiting for. It should almost never just be about the destination, there’s sometimes more enjoyment in the journey.

Face-to-face interaction. Learning dynamic and valuable social skills that will help you professionally and in your own life. I used to think phone calls were kind of a junk way of talking to someone but distance sometimes makes them necessary.  Businesses all use emails now. Don’t worry about calling them or stopping by because in 3 minutes you can have all the answers to your questions from the comfort of your cubicle. I’ve learned a lot from my mistakes and failures,  and from approaching people and talking to them. In business talk to peers and network, and build trust.  Don’t you agree that, socially, we’re becoming numb to real human interactions because of technology?

Have a good weekend everyone and get out there and talk to people face-to-face.

-Ryan