QR codes replacing prata uncles, and other ways modern convenience is costing us empathy and human connection

I fall for this a lot. I tell myself, if I just make everything quicker, I’ll finally have space to rest or connect. 

Yet, the space never comes. I end up filling the gaps with more work, more errands, more scrolling on my phone. And even with “more time”, I don’t always feel closer to the people around me. In fact, I’m more distant. 

LONELINESS AS THE PRICE OF CONVENIENCE

Every QR code that replaces a waiter, every chatbot that replaces a receptionist, every vending machine that churns out lunches instead of a cook – all of these make life more “efficient.” But they can also take away the spontaneous interactions that colour our days.

The COVID-19 pandemic made this even starker. It was a time of remarkable innovation. We had virtual classrooms, entire offices running from our bedrooms, even concerts were broadcast remotely. Technology made it possible to live almost entirely indoors, without ever facing another person.

The irony, however, is that the more frictionless life became, the lonelier and unhappier many felt. 

Even after lockdowns ended, the habit stuck. It just seemed easier to stay home, to order in, to skip the small interactions that used to fill our lives.