we focused on humans, being human, human interaction, and all the little things that make human interaction so delightful, exciting, and, well, human.
It is the 29th of February; we have an extra day this month, and what better way to use the day than to recap the month’s blogs?
Suppose you’ve been following along this month. In that case, you’ll know that we focused on humans, being human, human interaction, and all the little things that make human interaction so delightful, exciting, and, well, human.
We didn’t take this month to write tombs and treatises on dumping technology. We did not come up with a new Luddite manifesto. That was not the aim of the month of writing. The objective is to help you and us rethink how we communicate and connect with each other.
We are a digital agency, and it would be mad for us to say stop using technology. We love technology, and we appreciate what technology has done for the world. The significant accomplishments that have occurred due to advances in technology are mind-blowing. However, we are asking, at what cost?
When did you last put your phone away to speak with someone? When was the last time you were out and not surfing the net to find a better place or the more hip place to be? When did you last take your eyes from a screen and put them on the eyes of another living, breathing person?
We ask these questions not to make you feel bad about how you live but to remind you that there is life after technology. Although technology is excellent and the wonders of the modern age have given us so much, we wonder what we have lost in the realms of human interaction.
For the month of February, we here at ThoughtLab have given you thoughts to ponder, questions to answer, and paths to follow, all centered around the idea of getting more humanity back into our human lives. Again, this was not a month of down with technology, but rather a month of how we can remain more human, make stronger bonds offline, connect more deeply with each other, and find a way to do this while allowing for technology to have a part of our lives.
If you’ve missed any of the articles we posted this month, well, too bad; they were amazing, and we are sure to win a Nobel prize for blogging. Since that’s not a thing, what we’ll do instead is offer you this recap with links to the blogs so that you can enjoy and question on your own.
The Recap
In February, we covered many sub-topics of the main topic of humans and machines. This is how it all got started.
Humans and machines
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/february-humans-and-machines/
We followed up with articles on addiction as a human experience:
addiction
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/prometheus-an-eagle-and-an-alcoholic-human/
Then came two pieces on authentic human interactions.
Authentic human interaction:
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/offline-oasis-finding-fulfillment-through-authenti/
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/heartfelt-handshakes-and-hugs-celebrating-the-beauty/
Then came pieces on Physical proximity and relationships and the power of the human voice over texting.
Physical closeness in relationships
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/the-power-of-proximity-exploring-the-impact-of-phy/
Human voice
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/the-power-of-voice-why-hearing-a-human-voice-beats/
Next, we explored human touch and its fading days in connection to technology.
Touch and technology
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/the-vanishing-touch-how-technology-is-altering-hum/
We did a piece on loneliness, the epidemic it has become, and how technology, despite the allure of social media, has contributed to a nation full of lonely and alone people.
Loneliness in a Connected world
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/loneliness-in-a-connected-world-the-decline-of-hum/
We presented a piece on the landscape of human relationships, how they have been bent to suit technology, and the subtle nuances of human interaction that technology cannot imitate.
The landscape of Human relationships
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/real-faces-real-places-navigating-the-landscape-of/
<br />The Nuance of Human Interaction
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/beyond-the-binary-understanding-the-nuances-of-human/
Here, we offered advice on creating and sustaining mindful meetings for a better human experience.
Mindful Meetings
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/mindful-meetings-creating-spaces-for-authentic-human/
We looked at the dying art of conversation and how better bonds are built through talking and listening.
Conversation and bonds
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/conversational-alchemy-turning-words-into-bonds-in/
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/the-lost-art-of-conversation-reviving-real-dialogue/
We explored our offline lives.
Genuine Human Connetions offline
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/from-likes-to-laughter-fostering-genuine-human-connections/
We delved into the all-important and impossible for AI to replicate: a state of empathy.
<br />Empathy
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/embracing-empathy-the-key-to-meaningful-human-interactions
And we pondered the essence of genuine human connections.
The essence of human connection
https://www.thoughtlab.com/blog/building-bridges-not-algorithms-exploring-the-essence/
Summing Up
February is the shortest month, although we get an extra day this year. But a short month shouldn’t make you think that the topic we wrote about deserves only short attention. The real fear is that technology is slowly but steadily sapping our better human qualities. The art of conversation is slipping away, and people are choosing AI boyfriends and girlfriends over our actual physical connections.
For all that technology has done and continues to do for us, we cannot lose the things that separate us from the machines. With the rise of AI, we could quickly become a world where we are satisfied with a vague simulacrum of human connection.
Again, Thoughtlab is not saying kill your laptop. Still, we are asking if maybe your laptop is killing or wounding your relationships, friendships, conversation skills, and, above all, your understanding of empathy and the need to be empathetic to be human.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s reading, and if you missed some, we hope you find this recap helpful.
