A theory

Here's a theory I think we can all relate to:

People bemoan modern technology. They say we're always on our phones and computers, neglecting real actual genuine social interaction. And they say things were better in the old days.

There's some truth in that - though, of course, things weren't really that different in the old days. We watched TV instead. Or we read newspapers and books (see below). And people still talk plenty now.

So what is the problem?

(Here's where the theory - my very own theory! - comes in.)

I wonder if it's because when we're texting or messaging, we're choosing a different human to interact with than the one we're with. We laugh at the texts and messages, and it's like a dagger to the heart of the person sitting next to you.

It's a bit like saying, "you're not funny or interesting enough; I'll get my human interaction elsewhere; and I'm going to do it right in front of you, and you can't share in it."

Maybe we've always been doing this, but now it's a bit more in our faces.

Think: are we really all that bothered when our loved one reads a book? When they giggle at a newspaper sitting opposite us in a Sunday morning coffee shop?

But when they're giggling at their phone...

Jealousy. Insecurity. Feeling Neglected.

Whatchoo fink?