Yes. We live in an age where we are all connected to more and more digital media. Social networks? Channels? Television? Chat rooms? Whatever you can think of, you will see that it connects us in the first instance.
It connects us to a higher source, a higher power, called humanity. Teenagers feel accepted by their peers, workers by their colleagues, men by their wives. And while all this is good for us, I wonder: Why do we ultimately feel so alone?
I know, you will tell me that loneliness is different from solitude and that most people are solitary beings. But I will ask you, how is it possible that we have such high rates of loneliness, even so?
Yes, I will say it again: People are thirsty for communication. But contrary to what most people believe, or what the media would have us believe, we are thirsty for real communication. From the natural world. Of course, the digital world complements the natural world, but under no circumstances should it replace it.
We seek a hug, a kiss, a handshake, a touch, anything that brings us together.
Otherwise, we develop illnesses, psychosomatic disorders, and all those things that scientists cannot explain and call autoimmune diseases.
We need human contact. But also from our dogs and cats. Why? Because our brain produces substances such as oxytocin, dopamine, and serotonin, the hormones of hugging, satisfaction, and happiness, respectively.
Think of all those who are either disabled and excluded from society, or excluded from society because of mental illness. How difficult it must be for them to make and maintain friendships, relationships, and build a family and a home.
These people live with daily stigma, because if they don't have many friends, it's difficult for them to make new ones, and the stigma that follows them makes the situation even more difficult.
But is it only friendships that play a role in this? I would say no. Even contact in a shop or supermarket, a routine and an acquaintance can help.
We come to the conclusion that mobile phones and technology are not per se the cause of the loneliness we feel and the pain. But their extensive use is. It's as if we are immersed in them and ultimately condemned to them.
And what about communication? Quite simply, as long as we feel lonely, we will also lack communication. Because these two elements are intertwined and complementary. “When the mouth does not speak, the body speaks” says a proverb that has made a big impression on me.
That's why communication is so important. We need to talk so we don't feel alone. We need to ask for help. Because all requests for help are heard. Believe me.
Even those that seem hopeless...