Can You See Me now? Good.

I love the perpetually awkward moment when you are skyping your crush over your webcam and when it begins to buffer, the screen leaves him with a disgusting expression because I was talking about a super funny story, which was never really funny…said no one ever. It was predicted in 1956 that a pricey renovation of a “vidphone” would capture the market’s attention, and they were right...to a certain degree. Bell laboratories were ecstatic to share their invention they recognized as the “Picture-Phone.” This invention at the time was created to enable the public to experience a sense of “togetherness” regardless of the distance. Coincidently, I think the later similar inventions, like Skype, portray a much different message. Now, these products have somewhat allowed people to become complacent with distance and the idea of less “actual” face-to-face conversation. In the twentieth century, people knew of communication technologies, but the difference was the level of comfortability. These instruments of communication can be comforting to those who long to be close to loved ones, but they can also become a nuisance to those who prefer face-to-face conversation. Depending on you ask, you will get a differing opinion. In the future, many do believe that real face-to-face contact will decrease. It has even become common for couples to request a “virtual date,” versus taking the time to go out to dinner after a busy workday. As Bob Dylan would say, “the times, they are a-changin’,” and it doesn’t appear that the influence of technology in our society will be slowing down. So, I guess we remain content with the lack of consistency in sound and picture provided by Skype, which is not much different than the “Picture-Phone” it appears. Thank you, Microsoft.