Present in our lives for several years, the messengers Telegram, Signal, Messenger, WhatsApp … have taken a growing place in our communication. Little by little, we have witnessed the digitalization of our relationships. The social distancing was already beginning, without saying its name. Slowly but surely, we got used to live through artificial interfaces.
If we are geographically distant, these interfaces can be great tools. However, we have to admit that these interfaces are also and above all installed with our close relations.
How long has it been since you’ve heard the voice of your best friend, boyfriend, or other family member, other than through messaging?
We no longer live the connection in the present and live, even the phone call fades away in front of the Messenger. In the voice at least, you have the emotion, the warmth. So yes, it is true that you can make an audio, but it is not the same, you can erase it, redo it, prepare it, and the spontaneity and authenticity fades away. In the daily turmoil, you no longer try to find time to visit, you just send a quick message. Physical contact and embraces had already been reduced considerably before the external injunctions.
Wasn’t this the gradual and insidious learning of social distancing?