Video Calls & Loneliness
It's the fact that you can see the face of the person you love on the screen. The idea that you can see them without being physically present in the same place holds too much existential dread. Maybe days or weeks later, you will meet that person and hug them, but once you leave that place and return to video calls, you are unconsciously reminded of how unfortunate it is to be separated and yet still "connected." We can all agree that the experience of being there in person and looking at a screen is vastly different. The screen, flat and unappealing, even if you have the newest state-of-the-art monitor or display. There is so much disconnect with each call that ends, too much—far too much. Perhaps that's why reading an email or text is so much more appealing, because we can imagine their voice, and thus, our mind recalls memories of being together. It's sad. Truly unfortunate.
Everything has to be immediate, instant, and accessible—even seeing someone's face. It's not special anymore, the idea of being together in a physical place. I'm not being ungrateful; I do my share of video calls. This is simply how I feel after each call. What do you think?