I graduated from law school in 1981. Although we didn’t have email, fax machines or the Internet, we did have robust and meaningful conversations about ideas and projects that we were passionate about. We spent more talking (and debating) and created a connection amongst the two or three different groups that were important to us.
Everybody agrees that the advent of technology has compressed the time for decision-making and invaded our personal space in ways that were unthinkable 20 years ago. However, the biggest loss has been the fact that we seem to have lost the opportunity to stay connected to ideas, people and groups that contribute to our sense of self. When was the last time that you have a conversation that ended on terms of your own choosing (instead of being interrupted by an email or some type of special alert on your smartphone)?
