Staying connected in the digital world

Staying connected in the digital world has become more difficult than ever. Although we are extremely connected to our smart devices, we are disconnected from our fellow humans. We have a ton of Facebook friends, but we have few to no real-life friends. We are so active on social media, but we are a lot less social in real life. We are a part of different social networks, but we do little to no real-life networking. And hence, occasions such as birthdays have become nothing but a long wall post of people, from close friends to strangers, wishing "happy birthday" on a Facebook page. There is nothing personal about that. We can change that, but in order to do so, we must first accept that there is a problem. But how do we make it personal and memorable? You'd be surprised to find out it is just as easy as a text message... almost! True, some of us might be struggling with what to write in a birthday card, while some are naturally gifted writers, but we should make a conscious effort to do a little more than just a text or a simple wall post on a close friend or loved one's birthday. Making people who mean something to us truly happy by showing them that we care, can in return make us feel happy and satisfied with ourselves.

Some of you are probably thinking, but we don't have time. I work all day and barely have time for myself on weekends. The good news is, with technology, it's become much easier to send a personalized birthday card or a birthday gift from the comfort of our home, while sitting on the couch, in your PJs, binge-watching Handmaid's Tale! Yes, you no longer need to drive to the store to pick up a card, write on it, then drive to the post office (and there is nothing fun about waiting in those crazy lines at the post office!) to mail the card. It is all done online, just like social networking, but with one main difference: the outcome is tangible and not buried along with tens of others on a phone screen. So if it's that easy so why not make the effort? And it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. Really it costs nothing. If with $5 or $10 we can put a smile on the face of someone who means a lot to us, why do we let the digital world take away that beautiful connection that's been a part of our biology as humans since day one? We can't survive alone, we need each other to not only survive but thrive. It is good for our psyche to be surrounded by real people who really care.

So next time a friend is celebrating a special occasion, from a birthday to an anniversary, a job promotion, a new home purchase, and everything in-between, make the effort to stand out and be thoughtful, considerate, and truly bring a smile to their face. If you don't have the time to see them in person, or if they live miles away, you can still be there for them in celebrating their special moments without really being there. Hop online and send something tangible to them, something with your personal touch, even a simple note to say congratulations can go a long way.