The lost art of human conversation

5 ways technology has shaped our loneliness epidemic

“There are no strangers here; only friends you haven’t yet met.” — William Butler Yeats.

During rugby season, as a mom tasked with loads of driving, I often find myself transporting teenage boys, sometimes carpooling just to give another parent a break driving from town to town. Sometimes I may drop off and remain for part oof the all-day game and another parent will do the pick up so we can tend to the rest of life. Anyway, I use this driving time to have conversations with my sons and their peers- asking such questions how their parents are and what they plan to do in life, aside from their aspirations to play for Rugby Canada — they all currently play for a regional rugby team. The lively chatter borne of teenage politeness for their elders, eventually tapers off at the five-minute mark. And, eventually, as older folks often do, I sense that I am becoming an annoyance. So, I turn on some Wu-Tang Clan or Kendrick Lamar, which still resonates well with that crowd, and sit back to enjoy the ride without feeling too out of touch. I thank the universe that they’re past the phase of idolizing artists prefaced with “Lil” in their stage names. Those were confusing days for me.