Baumgardner: Facebook? FaceTime? Face-to-face?

Julie Baumgardner

Have you ever thought about how today’s amazing technological advances affect relationships?

There are very few places where you can’t be tech-connected in some way, shape or form. Calls can be taken whenever and wherever. It’s fairly inexpensive and there are no long-distance fees.

In real time, you can be in touch with whomever to show them what you are eating, post your latest fashion escapade or tell them about something that just happened. Who would have guessed a day would come when you can actually conduct business with people halfway across the planet – people you may never meet in person?

Why would anybody need to read books anymore or memorize anything when, with a few keystrokes, the information can be on a screen in front of you? The world has never been so flat when it comes to communicating.

But how does all of this impact relationships? What if you get an email from a friend who lives out of town and is really struggling? Inventions like Skype or FaceTime make it feel like you are practically there live and in person, which is good, but does it replace being able to hug someone when things are tough?