…we talked to each other
I have been traveling around the world for Diospi Suyana for 21 years. And in the meantime I can no longer shake off a certain unease about the changes in interpersonal relationships.
Yesterday the S-Bahn took me from Frankfurt airport to Wiesbaden. Silence in the compartment. Not a word. Six men are sitting next to me, all staring at their smartphones. Two decades ago, people were waiting at the boarding gate and reading a newspaper. Many had a book in their hands. And discussion groups were still the order of the day. That’s all long gone. Although we are in touch on public transport and in rooms, we remain miles apart in our thoughts. In the UK, the last government had a minister for loneliness. We will soon need one in Germany too. And psychotherapists for smartphone addicts too.
In 2007, the Diospi Suyana Hospital opened its doors and Steve Jobs introduced the first iPhone. Without wishing to diminish the advantages of cell phones, we unfortunately have to admit: The small mobile mini-computers – which can also be used to make phone calls – have lured us into isolation. Will we be able to free ourselves from this trap again? /KDJ
