Christine Rosen

We're more and more often gravitating towards the mediated interaction with other people rather than the face to face. And I think over time, we develop habits and expectations of each other that are mediated through the technology. And that means when we are face to face and together in person again, we're not as good at what we used to do.

We've lost some of our skills and just interacting as human beings. Can you elaborate? What are we losing? One of the things that we're designed evolutionarily to do is to read each other's facial expressions. So we have all kinds of unspoken languages, as they say, with our gestures.

We've lost some of our skills and just interacting as human beings. Can you elaborate? What are we losing? One of the things that we're designed evolutionarily to do is to read each other's facial expressions. So we have all kinds of unspoken languages, as they say, with our gestures.

So the way we use our hands, if our eyebrows go up and from the very moment that you open your eyes and in fact, an infant's field of vision is when you're being held. If you're an infant, it can see the person's face. So it's a very short distance, but it's meant to just focus on the face. So from a very young age, we're reading faces even before we can speak or articulate our feelings.

So the way we use our hands, if our eyebrows go up and from the very moment that you open your eyes and in fact, an infant's field of vision is when you're being held. If you're an infant, it can see the person's face. So it's a very short distance, but it's meant to just focus on the face. So from a very young age, we're reading faces even before we can speak or articulate our feelings.

When we spend a lot of time being interacted with and talked to and gestured, we are absorbing a million different things about what it means to be a human and how to communicate.

When we spend a lot of time being interacted with and talked to and gestured, we are absorbing a million different things about what it means to be a human and how to communicate.

But if you think about children today, if you put an iPad or a screen in front of their face from a very young age, maybe even before they're quite verbal and they're just staring transfixed at the screen, we've all seen this.

But if you think about children today, if you put an iPad or a screen in front of their face from a very young age, maybe even before they're quite verbal and they're just staring transfixed at the screen, we've all seen this.

They're seeing a lot of things on the screen, but they're not interacting with a fellow human being and seeing all the nuances, these sort of unspoken bodily signals that we give as they get older. They are not as good at reading other people. And I spoke to some diplomats, for example, who said it's a real challenge. The new kids coming in are bright. They're super sharp. They're ready to go.

They're seeing a lot of things on the screen, but they're not interacting with a fellow human being and seeing all the nuances, these sort of unspoken bodily signals that we give as they get older. They are not as good at reading other people. And I spoke to some diplomats, for example, who said it's a real challenge. The new kids coming in are bright. They're super sharp. They're ready to go.

They lack basic social skills. They don't know how to look someone in the eye and sustain a conversation. They're very ferocious. physically awkward when they're all thrown into a room together. And obviously for diplomats, that is a huge part of their job is reading signals across a negotiation table, meeting new people in perhaps somewhat hostile situations.

They lack basic social skills. They don't know how to look someone in the eye and sustain a conversation. They're very ferocious. physically awkward when they're all thrown into a room together. And obviously for diplomats, that is a huge part of their job is reading signals across a negotiation table, meeting new people in perhaps somewhat hostile situations.

So these are skills that are very qualitative. You know, it's difficult to quantify what they mean. But a lot of the people, particularly in the business world that I spoke to, said they notice a shift with each rising generation. The more time they've spent on screens, the more they have to do some basic people skill development of these teams when they come into the workplace.

So these are skills that are very qualitative. You know, it's difficult to quantify what they mean. But a lot of the people, particularly in the business world that I spoke to, said they notice a shift with each rising generation. The more time they've spent on screens, the more they have to do some basic people skill development of these teams when they come into the workplace.

They do, to some extent, I would argue. And in fact, too much power and too much control creates habits of mind that then perhaps make us less functional as people. And by that, I mean, it's great that I can call my grandma from anywhere in the world on my phone and check in on her and I can text my kids and see what's going on. All these things are good. I use them every day. I'm not a Luddite.

They do, to some extent, I would argue. And in fact, too much power and too much control creates habits of mind that then perhaps make us less functional as people. And by that, I mean, it's great that I can call my grandma from anywhere in the world on my phone and check in on her and I can text my kids and see what's going on. All these things are good. I use them every day. I'm not a Luddite.

But when you spend most of your time having the ability on a phone to mute someone, to end a conversation, to swipe right because that person doesn't look nice to you, the sense of control and power means when you're in a situation where you don't have that control, say you're sitting dealing with a difficult bureaucrat at the DMV who can't figure out why all your paperwork isn't in order.

But when you spend most of your time having the ability on a phone to mute someone, to end a conversation, to swipe right because that person doesn't look nice to you, the sense of control and power means when you're in a situation where you don't have that control, say you're sitting dealing with a difficult bureaucrat at the DMV who can't figure out why all your paperwork isn't in order.

you suddenly realize that you're a lot less patient. And that's because you haven't had to practice being patient. You haven't actually had to deal with difficult things because you can get rid of them, mute them, cut them out of your life. And the technology habituates us to expect certain things. So in the sense that it gives us power and control and we use it wisely, that's all for the good.