I find it interesting that a species which invented the telephone is seemingly so opposed to using it these days.

There’s no shortage of people who prefer to text, email or chat — the latter in a digital sense, of course. Some may call these three things signs of progress, and while they are, companies these days have begun to use “live humans” (as I heard on the radio earlier) as a selling point.

See? Interesting. It speaks to something I’ve personally felt building inside of me the past few years: tech burnout (says the blogger, natch).

I don’t know whether Mr. Bell would be amused by this or not. If I was him, I suppose I’d feel glad the phone might be making a wee comeback, although I might also wonder what new, shiny communication device may be lurking just around the corner.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: the same way in which data entry skills, a particular degree, design skills or having x-years of experience appear repeatedly on job descriptions, soon too will “Can hold a conversation on the telephone” or “Prefers voice to voice communication above other forms.”

Everything comes full circle.

The funny thing about some types of progress is that it can stunt our growth in the meantime. Texting has made speaking in person or on the phone difficult for some, while the helpfulness of GPS has made others less aware of their surroundings instead of enhancing their understanding of it.

While there are pros and cons to everything — technology or otherwise — striking a balance and possibly also finding a compromise will usually be necessary. Fortunately, as “live humans” we have the ability to realize what these things are.

So tonight, for our ability to reason unlike a machine and to communicate with nuances or expressions that the digital dimension struggles to crack, I am thankful.