The times have changed since the introduction of mass transportation and instant communication. The interactions between people are vastly different from even 30 years ago. Today I will take you on a journey to view these interactions, and talk about what has changed.

Walking down the 16th street mall, I noticed several things about people's interactions. That is, they weren't interacting. It was crowded, during the evening, the weather was nice. But everyone was on a phone instead of paying attention to the surroundings. They were rushing around, not taking time to look at any shops. No one really stopped to make small talk, or even non small talk.

I also noticed that people were very irritated. They often grumbled at minor inconveniences, and seemed generally unhappy. They looked stiff, and tried to make themselves small to stay as far away from other people as possible. They showed distaste for even the smallest interactions.

I noticed similar behavior in my neighborhood. It was a sunny Saturday, yet no one was talking. A few little kids played, but that was it. I saw several people working on laptops on their porches. They all seemed tense, and nobody was visiting.

I saw one gentleman ask for directions, and the lady he asked seemed very irritated at having to answer him. When the sprinklers went off, everyone in the grass reacted as though God himself had smited them. They also looked closed off and made themselves small, like their mall counterparts.

In a coffee shop a few evenings ago, I stopped in to sit down, but I again noticed a distinct lack of interaction. People barricaded themselves in corners with bags, and became annoyed if someone else sat down nearby. No one approached another table and asked to join either.

Everyone again seemed tense, even sitting on a sofa with a drink. Almost everyone seemed to be working as well, only one elderly couple looked like they were actually talking. It seemed that only prearranged visits were allowed, no impromptu get togethers.

A look back at the 16th street mall 30 years ago shows a different style of interaction. People greeted each other in the street during the day. A total lack of smartphones meant people found entertainment in the physical world rather than the virtual one. They communicated more as well, as no texting or phone calls meant if they wanted to talk, it had to be with one another. They seemed to be less uptight about delays as well. If the bus ran late it was inconvenient, but they just wandered around instead of venomously griping at anyone who would listen.

The neighborhoods of years past were different too. People chatted on porches rather than cell phones, and were more acquainted than neighbors are today. They greeted each other in the streets by name, and often stopped to talk when they passed.

We have gained some things with the change. More work gets done, due to people bringing work out of their offices. More personal errands are completed as well, since we aren’t stopping to chat as much. And for many people today, feeling an obligation to make small talk is very uncomfortable, and having that obligation removed is comforting.

We also get to spend more time with people we are truly close to. We can avoid chatter with neighbors who we are only close to geographically, and talk to friends and family in our houses instead, without seeming rude. Modern innovations like Facebook also allow us to find people who share our interests and talk to them, so even if nobody who lives near you shares your hobbies, you still have people to share them with. This less carefree lifestyle allows for a more regular schedule, again allowing people to design what they want their day to be.

We have lost a lot as well. We have lost a sense of security in our communities from knowing everyone personally. We have lost opportunities to meet new people out and about because we don't want to chat with strangers. More friendly communities are also more resilient to tragedy, as they help each other more than less friendly ones might.

People are also far too tense and uptight about everything now. Even minor inconveniences can ruin their days. We work more, and don’t take enough time to relax. We also miss out on enjoying our physical surroundings, opting instead to explore virtual ones.

I believe that there is nothing wrong with either of these cultures. I do, however, prefer the new style of efficiency and only communicating with people I know and like. There is one exception, however. I believe we do need to be far less uptight than we are about things that don't happen the way we plan. It adds too much stress, and it's best not to dwell on it. There is a large generational gap as well, and I believe the new culture will take over even more, as more people are born into it.

People are very adaptive, and as such this shift will not cause the collapse of society. Just because there is no longe as much physical communication does not mean that is is lost forever. It has simply changed, as people arrange to meet with others they know and like, instead of hanging out with people they meet while out. Some people who did not grow up in this community may never accept it, but that's perfectly fine. They live their way, and the rest of us live our way.