The explosion in communication technology over the last few years has changed everything about the way we keep in touch with each other, the way we work, when we work and also how we meet new people. And, if you asked most people who use this technology, the majority would undoubtedly agree that it has made their lives easier. Thinking carefully about it though, some of the benefits are also pitfalls. Receiving emails at all times of day, feeling compelled to read, and sometimes reply to them too can bring us unwanted stress at the weekends, on days off, and even holidays or “worlidays” as some are affectionately now calling them. I’m always a bit concerned when people start these kinds of trends as they can quickly spread and become the norm. Just think, it could be only ten years from now when we will all be taking “worlidays” as a matter of course. The very reason why we are escaping in the first place is to switch off from everyday life/work, and the prospect of this being replaced by something halfway between the two defeats the whole reason why we go away in the first place. Of course this does suit down to the ground, those work obsessive, nothing-else-in-their-life-but-work types who may now have a reason to take a holiday when they never would have done before. Anyway, I am now slightly off topic, but there is a good reason for discussing the knock-on effect of the communication revolution, which has become arguably the only truly futuristic aspect of the world today.
The other more un-noticed result of this shift in the way we now communicate, is that old physical relationships have become virtual ones. The odd message on Facebook has now become an acceptable form of keeping in touch with friends, family too. Of course this has affected some more than others, the difference being those who use the technology for its intended purpose and those who use it as a replacement for other things missing in their lives. My main point though, is that all advances thus far in communication tech have been no replacement for physical contact. And, none have offered ways to meet new people in the same way that you meet new people in the physical world; body language, tone, inflection, eye contact etc. are all yet to crossover to the virtual world, and maybe, when they do, there will be no need to write this article!
Now, if you take a look at the Project 1 link, you’ll see this is the direction I want to go for the first 1 Month Project. I want to create something that solves this problem, introduces a physical element to the online world, and enables people to freely and comfortably meet new people who they can truly connect with. Please let me know your ideas, thoughts and opinions regarding what you would like to get out of a new communication tool designed to bring the physical and virtual worlds closer together.
