When you meet someone for the first time, how long do you wait before rushing to your phone to type their name into the Instagram search bar? With one click and a couple swipes, you can gain access to information about this person’s hobbies, jobs, politics, relationships and favorite foods without ever sharing those conversations with them.
In today’s society, the rise of social media has given us free access to some of the most complex and personal parts of people’s lives, without having to interact at all. This phenomenon can have a major impact on the way that we socialize with each other, build relationships and gain knowledge. This begs the question…
Is our sense of mystery dying?
Thanks to modern technology, you can know every turn, detour and stop of a road trip before you even leave your house. Instead of lying awake at night with random questions, you can roll over and google the answers. While most of the time these things can feel extremely convenient and helpful, they can also deter us from things like human connection, problem solving and finding comfort in being unsure.Â
We no longer always have the privilege of wondering things, as it feels like the answers are already out there. Social media was designed to be platforms of connection and collaboration, but oftentimes I feel like it seems more like glass rooms of people’s lives, where you are always watching and being watched but rarely really interacting.Â
Knowing someone’s favorite song because they posted it on their Instagram is entirely different than spending time with them and eventually having that conversation in person, learning why they love it and their connection with the lyrics. This applies to so many other aspects of society today.
It’s so easy to type a place into google and feel like you’re seeing it from every angle and perspective, when in reality, you’re only experiencing a hair of what it would actually be like to go there. Passions condensed to Instagram bios, mountains condensed to Pinterest boards and it all feels so readily available.
While I love social media as much as the next person, I do feel like I crave that sense of mystery that we’re losing more and more. I enjoy going into experiences blind and getting to know people “from scratch,” asking question after question until you think you understand them a little bit better. I love the satisfaction of getting answers from books and conversation, rather than a curated Google search result.Â
We are living during the time of the “Information Age,” but there is a big difference between information and knowledge. Society is beginning to struggle with what is known as “The curse of reading and forgetting” on a larger scale than ever before.
When we google the answer to something immediately, we are patching the issue temporarily, but, without the mystery and the effort to search for the information, we are avoiding the task of ever truly learning it.Â
While this all seems pretty doom and gloom, there are absolutely ways to break this cycle of relying on convenient information. Picking up a book when you’re trying to research a topic you’re interested in can equip you with a valuable and long-term source of knowledge.Â
Trying out new things, places and restaurants without tirelessly researching them beforehand can bring a sense of novelty and excitement to new experiences.Â
Asking people questions about themselves over coffee instead of scouring their socials and forming assumptions can help you develop relationships you otherwise wouldn’t have considered.Â
While uncertainty and mystery can feel uncomfortable at times, they are an important part of the human experience. There is far more value in embracing all of your questions instead of in convincing yourself you can have all of the answers.Â
