A Sense of Community
By Jeff Moffitt
@moffittjc (121715)
Gainesville, Florida
December 17, 2015 6:36am CST
Technology has made the need for community stronger than ever. I'm sure you've seen it before: families sitting together around the dinner table or out at a restaurant staring blankly into their smartphone or tablet screen, without saying a word to each other. The truth is, all this technology has proven more than ever that we need to connect with one another. Technology can only accomplish so much, and there is a part of our brain that craves human interaction. The evidence for this is all around us. Here's one example: conferences. There are nearly twice as many conferences now than there were ten years ago. This is mind boggling, considering that virtual conferencing technology and software should have theoretically made conferences obsolete by now! Another example is the huge trend that is taking place now where people are desiring to visit and support local breweries (I am guilty of that one), local farmers, and local artists.
People have a need to be together. Our brains are hard-wired to interact with each other. We are social creatures. And a sense of community and a need for belonging isn't a outdated concept that went out of fashion like parachute pants and big hair in the 80's...it's very much alive and well!
Do you think technology is making us more and more isolated, or do you think it is actually driving us to seek out more meaningful interactions with each other?
5 people like this
8 responses
@vanities (11395)
• Davao, Philippines
17 Dec 15
I have observed now a days that people tends to enjoy making friends online or playing games on their gadgets. There are disadvantages as well as advantages on this new high technology thing. And I am easily adapting to it and my family. I can call my children anytime, anywhere. Isn't it great then?
2 people like this
@Bluedoll (16773)
• Canada
17 Dec 15
@Asylum
Looking backwards while making modern day money, the money does go in and out and all I did was make a slow visit to the cash machine to get petty cash. It didn't feel like an asset.
With the cash the cheque system at least I felt important and I was an asset? I just wonder which system was/is more real?
1 person likes this
@deafdiva (242)
• United States
17 Dec 15
You are right-we are social creatures! There is a time and place for technology and a time and place for face to face interacting!
@moffittjc (121715)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 15
For example, technology is good in this situation because it allows all us myLotters to interact with each other; but for my kids sitting on the couch next to me right now, face-to-face is the way to go!
@Bluedoll (16773)
• Canada
17 Dec 15
That's a good question but I have another I am not sure what the answer is. When you look at people gathered together in groups standing in lineups or just standing around some are chatting with others but some have cell phones in hand.
What are they doing? Are they gathering very interesting information or is it for another purpose?
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121715)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 15
I always think that the people who are naturally social are the ones talking to each other, and the ones who are more shy are the ones glued to their cell phones.
1 person likes this
@Bluedoll (16773)
• Canada
19 Dec 15
@moffittjc
We need some kind of survey or research paper I think to understand this more fully. I was hoping I would see an opposite view in the tread where someone shows how cell phones help people to be more social? I don't have one so I have no idea.
I just talk to someone I don't know or quietly look around in groups if I am alone.
I just talk to someone I don't know or quietly look around in groups if I am alone.@moffittjc (121715)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Dec 15
@Bluedoll I think an example of a positive use of technology to bring people together is when there is lots of distance between them, say if person lives on one side of the country and the other person lives on the other side. They can use their cell phone to talk to each other frequently, or they can use FaceTime (on iPhones) or Skype to have a video chat so they can see each other's faces.
@VivaLaDani13 (60794)
• Perth, Australia
2 Apr 17
@moffittjc I have mixed feelings about this. I think it depends what you are doing exactly. Like sitting with your family or friends, being on your phone or laptop and not interacting with anyone automatically makes you look antisocial.
But if it's something like that stupid Pokemon Go, that brought a lot of people together. Strangers meeting, talking about it and searching together. Or any games online that requires lots of players. Things like that bring people together.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121715)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Apr 17
If technology is used in innovative ways, it can actually bring people together. We just have to be careful of how we are using technology, and how much time we are spending staring at a screen versus interacting with real live people. Technology is great, but can never be a true substitute for human interaction.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (121715)
• Gainesville, Florida
2 Apr 17
@VivaLaDani13 Don't forget indoor activities are also a viable option! Wink wink 
1 person likes this
@VivaLaDani13 (60794)
• Perth, Australia
2 Apr 17
@moffittjc Agree with you totally. I personally would prefer to be out playing sport or going to the beach or just anything outside with friends.
1 person likes this
@ChinaLeon (247)
• Tianjin, China
19 Dec 15
I think it all depends on how we use the technology.
My grandma is 83 years old and her sister is 78 years old. They live about 1000km from each other. The cell phone make them closer than ever. They phone each other in the moring only to ask whether have breakfast or not. And they can see each other through the internet video. For this, the thconology make them close and not isolated.
But
For me , I have some close friends in the school and we can't see each other often. We just see each other on the internet sharing some beautiful pictures. Sometimes I feel there is no need to see each other. For this , the techology make us isolated.
@moffittjc (121715)
• Gainesville, Florida
19 Dec 15
What bothers me is when two people are sitting right next to each other, and instead of talking with each other, they are staring down at their cell phones. I would tell them to put their phone away and talk to each other! What's the point of sitting next to each other if you're not going to talk to the person?
@ChinaLeon (247)
• Tianjin, China
20 Dec 15
@moffittjc Yeah.It's the problem that happened all the world. People rely on the smart phone more than they need.
Resolving the problem based on the people's consciousness is not enough.I think we should use the cell phone to guide people to go out that illusory world?
@moffittjc (121715)
• Gainesville, Florida
18 Dec 15
We humans can only take so much isolation before we feel the need to reconnect with other people!
1 person likes this
