So selfish...

As much as I'm not a fan of the 'real' world, I'm finding that I increasingly go through life in almost complete silence. Admittedly that which we miss is very thin and insubstantial, it is nonetheless a loss in human contact. Any noise is artificial - often horrendous music - or is on the peripheries. That is, other people's conversations, tantrums or laughter.

If I go to a supermarket, I will choose it on the basis of being able to self-serve. I can now pay at the pump of a service station, even self serve at the post office. When all this is added to the self serve playground of the internet, any remaining interactions are very minimal.

This isolation feeds other beasts. This lack of contact means social skills are compromised. We - as others - are very uncomfortable in groups, especially those where we are the 'foreign' and the din of the other is overwhelming.

I often wonder how long it will be before we overcompensate and seek human contact in odd or cringe-worthy ways. Will we start asking people to explain something or direct us, just to have a micro-conversation? If we know where the toothpaste is, will we still ask? Many conversations seem to be tied to consumption so it's increasingly likely that marketers will exploit this loneliness.

Will we over-share in other ways - like this post perhaps? - in order to get attention?