"Social Disconnection" by Nathan S

     It’s a Friday afternoon. I am finally home and prepared for the weekend. Knowing myself, I will be able to find plans for this evening, so in a relatively good mood I indubitably am. I hop on the couch and hastily inquire my compatriots if they are willing to accompany me on an adventure to an unknown destination in my 2001 Toyota Tundra. And then, all of a sudden, something dreadful happens. I get a phone call. And this was no ordinary phone call. This was a phone call from none other than... my mother. An audible sigh of annoyance is made and I reluctantly answer. So I wait a few seconds, and answer “What?” in a groggy sort of tone as if I had just been resting. What annoys me is that she is never very succinct with her words. “Hi sweetie,” she says to me in a cheerful voice. I can hear the blinker of her car in the background. My mother has a habit of being bored when driving home, and calls either me or my sister just to chat. Though she has pure intentions, I honestly find it kind of pestering. “I was just wondering how your day was!” I finish the unsubstantial phone call. Though likely temporary, my mood is noticeably worse.
     I pick up Lucas and Alex, because they had the unfortunate mindset of waiting to acquire their driver’s license, whereas I took it upon myself to get mine within a week of my sixteenth birthday. (Dear reader, if you have you have your driver’s license or are in the process of getting one, good on you. If not...get on that. Seriously. It changed my life. Don’t be like Alex). My other friend Joe (name kept confidential) was a good boy and drove himself to my house, saving me precious drops of petrol. We didn’t really know what to do so we settled on an excursion to Victoria Gardens, the local mall. I can feel the juxtaposition of my fellow Chads in every stride,

and knowledgeable about previous visits, I am prepared for a lively outing. Upon our arrival, we dismount from the ute, and advance into the commercial center. As it is the dawn of the fifth moon in the week, the sidewalks teem with life. Very occasionally, I think it is fun to say things to random passersby, usually along the line of “hello” and survey the counteraction provided. Most of my friends are uncomfortable with it, and I get it, as I too am nervous myself. For some reason it takes courage to say something to someone you’ve never met before. We approach a couple walking in the opposite direction. I wave toward the couple as our paths converge, and say “Hello!” I made my gesture very unambiguously directed toward the couple. To my dismay, the couple acted as if my greeting was a facade. “Was he waving at me?” They might’ve said to one another.
     Most passersby that I observed seemed to feel uncomfortable with such an unfamiliar action. I took it upon myself to challenge everyone with me to greet at least two strangers. The completion of my aforementioned challenge seemed almost effortless for Alex to finalize. However, for Joe and Lucas, such an exhibition of oneself was not as easy. What was so different between Alex and the rest, that allowed Alex to so gracefully complete my trial, and for Joe and Lucas to struggle? As I examined the distinction between the two, I recalled one of Joe’s habits. He is consistently glued to the screen of his iPhone 11. Specifically scrolling through social media platforms such as Instagram and Twitter. How can such a socially connected person fail to perform a simple social interaction?
So I thought to myself, there seems to be a connection between social media, and social detachment. In this reality bestowed upon us, social interactions dictate our everyday lives. Us students have to interact with our teachers and our piers to be successful, and most workers have

to interact with their boss or their clients to be successful. Humans are social creatures. Without social cooperation, society would be nothing but twig huts, inhabited by measly humans with their pointy sticks scattered across the globe. Individual humans require the company of others. So naturally, with technology came the birth of social media. Humans are more connected than ever, but when it comes down to it, most of us lack the basic social functionality to confront a stranger. When I witnessed the incapability of my local community to acknowledge a friendly greeting from a stranger, I saw the irony of our “connection.” It is because of this irony that I try to be as outgoing as possible. I of course indulge in our technological advancements, but I find myself wanting to break societal patterns. It would be a falsehood to declare that I never find myself in an awkward situation where I turn to technology. I too take out my phone and fake doing something important during uncomfortable elevator rides. But anytime someone gives me an unfriendly look when I behave in contrast to a societal norm, I feel satisfaction in knowing that I am not a copy-pasted replica of what society wants me to be. And honestly, nobody is.
     That’s where the problem lies. I see too many people even at this school that seem to act in a way that is appealing to their so-called friends, despite their true nature. Changing yourself to allure people is not the way to make true friends. If you embrace your uniqueness, like-minded individuals will come to you.