In a new post for my tech column at Newsmax.com, I report that we’re not really saying hello to each other on the streets much anymore. While a number of factors are influencing this phenomenon, I suggest that this kicked into high gear after the introduction of the world’s first real smartphone, the iPhone, in 2007.
As we get used to virtual interactions and the convenience of having our life in our pockets, we look for ways to make the real world more “friction free.” Greeting a stranger or starting a conversation involves friction. It means being fully present in the real world.It requires us to be brave and awkward, spontaneous and vulnerable. It’s much easier to say nothing and look in the other direction.
Read the full article here.
Andrew McDiarmid 