Class reunions are a time when we get together and talk to our classmates, listen to what they’ve been up to, then gossip about them behind their backs. This weekend I celebrated my 25th reunion with about twenty five graduates from a class of over one hundred people. In my case, the planners did a fantastic job of tracking people and sending invites.
Throughout the night I overheard several participants banter over possible reasons for the poor turnout. One of the possible reasons was the $27.00 cover, another was travel distances. Fact is, nobody had a clear-cut idea.
As I drove home that evening I thought to myself that reunions may not mean as much to people anymore because of the availability of the internet. Facebook, for example, allows people to catch up without interacting. Why would I go to a reunion when I already know everything about those people from the internet?
When I think about it, the internet has really taken over the need for face-to-face communication. I know what people are doing with the click of a button so I really don’t need to go the extra step to attend a reunion. Moreover, the internet is essentially free and I don’t need to inconvenience myself, get dressed, and waste a Saturday night.
Human interactions are necessary. Whether it’s an occasional phone call or a quick meet and greet, people need to interact socially with other people. Those of us who sit behind computer screens day in and day out sometimes forget the importance of actually meeting someone in person and communicating more than a few lines of text.
As I made my way through the group of my classmates, I had more people tell me they are happy to hear about my business. People commented on the minutia and superficial stuff I put on Facebook and Google+ but had no idea of anything more. It wasn’t until we spent ten minutes gabbing that we realized we had more going on with our lives.
The internet has become a poor substitute for developing a bond with other people and finding out who that person is. Assumptions are easily made about what a person is, but finding out who a person is requires connecting. Granted we can’t find out everything in ten minutes of conversation, but we certainly can go deeper than black and white text.
Not all communication needs to be done in person. My online vendors certainly don’t need to know what my voice sounds like. I don’t need to talk to my neighbors to find out about the bear lurking in my neighborhood. I haven’t even met the person to whom I submit this article. Electronic communication has its place.
My daughters summed it up nicely for me this evening. They theorized that provided there’s face-to-face communication then filling in the gaps online is OK. For a relationship to prosper there needs to be more than an occasional meet up. Seeing someone once a week for a few hours and filling in the rest with Facebook and text messages is simply not enough for any emotional relationship.
So, the poor turnout at the reunion may have been due to other variables but I’m certain Facebook can take some of the responsibility. I was honestly considering not going because I thought I knew all about my classmates from posts they’ve shared about their personal lives. In reality, I’m glad I attended because I learned a lot and shared some stories which weren’t posted on Facebook.
(Jeromy Patriquin is the President of Laptop & Computer Repair, Inc. located at 509 Main St. in Gardner. You can call him at (978) 919-8059 or visit www.LocalComputerWiz.com.)