Words: Ally Nicolas (she/her)
‘Where would we be without the internet today?’, we cry en masse. The online space has become the new Third Place. Yet it begs another question: can online interaction replace real human connection?’
Perhaps you’re reading this in print, or on a screen, maybe somewhere in public, with strangers walking past. Now, look around. Who is engaged in active conversation and who isn’t? Who is with friends, and who is merely surrounded by people? Do they all have their heads bowed over their phone screens? This isn’t about playing gotcha on people for using their phones in public. I am simply wondering – and asking you to wonder – how public space is being utilised in today’s digital age.
Internet pioneers J.C.R. Licklider and Robert W. Taylor predicted in 1968 that ‘men will be able to communicate more effectively through a machine than face to face’ (that a machine helps us communicate with one another is true of today, whether it’s more effective than face-to-face is contentious). Since then, the western world, with all its infrastructural brutality, has undergone fundamental changes in both communication and space, with the former becoming increasingly digital and the latter privatised.
Sociologist Ray Oldenburg seemed to lament this change in contemporary society, responding with his concept of the “Third Place”. It’s neither the home (first) nor the workplace (second), but a gathering space for social interaction where anyone can come and go as they please. Here, everyone stands on equal footing, the atmosphere is relaxed, and it is neither expensive nor inaccessible. Importantly, conversation takes centre stage, accompanied by laughter and, of course, beverages! Teahouses, beer gardens, pubs, and coffeehouses serve as prime examples. Oldenburg explains that these spaces provide a sense of belonging and revitalise communities by encouraging democratic exchanges. The Third Place, in this sense, is important for democracy. Interestingly, in the centuries following the invention of coffeehouses, kings and leaders would go so far as to ban them.
Cut to the 2020s: reeling from the pandemic and amidst economic uncertainty, we live our lives on the internet. Our reliance on traditional communication methods like landlines and SMS has reduced, hastened by the lockdowns’ shift to online communication. No wonder the youth of today are ironically afraid of phone calls. Furthermore, a 2022 survey by Uswitch reveals that the UK’s average screen time per day is 5 hours, and that’s in addition to any work-related content. In today’s digital age, our sense of identity and place in the world is controlled by the internet. The online space has become a medium in which the average person communicates socially, personally, and professionally – where friendships are formed, employment is found, and political discourse takes shape. Conveniently, you don’t need to leave the house to go shopping, nor are you required to make that hour-long commute to the office. And whoever said romance is dead has probably never tried Zoom sleepovers. ‘Where would we be without the internet today?’, we cry en masse. The online space has become the new Third Place. Yet it begs another question: can online interaction replace real human connection?
The boundaries between the home and workplace have eroded, and third spaces such as libraries and parks are in decline. People are resorting to the internet in the comfort of their own homes. Why? Convenience is an obvious reason. But matter-of-factly, our capitalist society won’t give us our time back. We are either too overworked to drag ourselves outside for socialising or too broke to fork out cash for an overpriced pint or coffee. Leisure nowadays seems to be a luxury for those who can afford it. Instead, our downtime is spent online. It is cheaper and less socially draining, but being addicted to it doesn’t help either…
Undoubtedly, it’s astonishing to think that I can FaceTime long-distance family and friends in real-time through an unassuming black screen. But virtual interaction can never replace the genuine connection formed through physical human interaction – moments that are unchoreographed, guided by serendipity. The lack of physical contact means we do not get the full picture of the other person’s subtle movements: the detailed wrinkles on their face, the smell of alcohol on their breath, their instantaneous reaction to a remark we’ve made. How many times have you been sent a funny reel and responded ‘LMAO’ with a straight face behind the screen? Licklider and Taylor were almost right in their prediction. Yet, the tension that comes with in-person interactions is needed to develop our social skills, and proximity is essential for this. Self-effacing online interactions just don’t suffice. One must also remember that what we see online is an illusion rather than a shared reality. Connection may be abundant in today’s digital world, but by sustaining friendships and a sense of community comes real, genuine relationships made in the flesh… otherwise you’re missing out.
