Nothing makes us happier than our families and loved ones, a new study shows, with face-to-face socializing beating reaching out to people online hands down.
..."Despite our celebrity driven culture, fame is not likely in itself to be a primary source of happiness. Instead, real happiness depends on our connecting with people, especially through love and kindness," the study said.
http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/05/11/technology/tech-us-happiness.html?_r=1
In an age where hookups, breakups, and makeups are increasingly initiated via text or online, the social dynamic of face-to-face interactions has changed drastically and in some cases disappeared entirely.
...One friend, a junior who’s on the shy side, told me she relies heavily on her electronic escape hatch. “I’ll walk by someone, I’ll have my iPod in, even if it’s not on, and they’ll think I didn’t say hi because I was distracted. So it gives me an excuse.’’
..But the tragic, isolating thing is that we reach for our devices because we don’t want to seem lonely — which is causing us to avoid our peers and actually be lonely.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/05/02/when_youre_only_text_friends/
So, next time we pass someone on the street and we are busy talking on our cellphones, find a few seconds to connect with someone. Reach out and say "hello."
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