Hopefully, most partners, lovers, close friends and family members still have long, productive, honest conversations on a regular basis. Nevertheless, this practice, long a vital feature of human civilization, is under attack in the modern world.
Short texts and tweets have now replaced phone calls and, to ensure brevity, are sprinkled with abbreviations and emojis to limit word usage and emotional expression. The social media companies even offer capsulized, ready-made responses for our use, just in case our imagination has completely shut down; among their most used suggestions are "Like the Image," "Congratulations," "Same to You," and other favorites.
It is no wonder that many individuals feel isolated and that human friendships have been marginalized. When most of our interactions are digital, we lose the capacity for personal conversation. The most unique trait of our species is disappearing and the emotional health of humans and of society as a whole will suffer as a consequence.
