Please do not disturb!
Column We are all global, communicating around the world. But there seems to be a huge problem with short-distance communication recently.
Column We are all global, communicating around the world. But there seems to be a huge problem with short-distance communication recently: you have nothing more to say to your partner? Are the children annoying and the boss anyway? In the past, you would have sought out a conversation. Today, people are withdrawing more and more, refusing any direct communication and fleeing into another life. Second Life" seems to be an ideal platform. In this online game, people construct a new world for themselves - with dreamlike islands, attractive sex partners and the opportunity to earn heaps of money. You are no longer "Werni from the IT department", but suddenly a cheeky gigolo with private possessions that some people on earth can only dream of. But what has actually happened to us? Direct contact with people seems to be becoming increasingly difficult - even in everyday working life. Example: automatic telephone answering machines. At the Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine in Zurich, it's no longer a nice lady who answers, but a computerized voice. "Search for department X, dial 1" and so on. What do I do if I don't know where the person I'm looking for works? I'm totally lost! Because nobody wants to talk to the caller. These tape announcements are not only extremely annoying, they also signal defensiveness, too much work, too much stress. Please don't disturb, that's what it means to me.
It seems to me that many people can no longer stand direct contact. They prefer to email and make themselves virtually invisible. So we email halfway around the world, "talking" to America, Japan and Russia. But in the evening, over dinner at the family table, many a man remains silent. He also signals "please don't disturb". The wife no longer seems to be able to get to him. The children want attention, he interprets this as annoyance. "Why am I not James Bond?" some people ask themselves. A hot guy with a hot body and an even hotter sports car. Escape, just get away from this life. It's still easier than confronting yourself. So many people seek their salvation in parallel worlds. This phenomenon seems to be widespread, as is the mistaken belief that there is an easy way to get to the real life.
It's a story about closeness and distance. We can't stand the closeness any more. It's easier to email Natasha from Moscow than to have a sensible conversation with Trudi in the living room next door. "You can't have a conversation with Trudi either", is that what you're thinking now? Yes, but hello? Then why haven't you done something about it already? "Because it's so comfortable", I hear you say. Fears and a latent sense of being overwhelmed in our everyday lives are driving us away. As a platform, internet worlds seem to be the saviors for this distress. But it would be worth simply thinking about burnout. Definitions can be found at www.swissburnout.ch. There you will also find a short self-test that will show you how close you are to the abyss.
And for those who just want to play, I recommend the new edition of good old Monopoly. You can also buy properties there - now even with a credit card. Or how about a good glass of red wine by the fire and a chat with friends? Dear readers, ONE life must be enough.
Karin Müller is a communications consultant in Zurich
It seems to me that many people can no longer stand direct contact. They prefer to email and make themselves virtually invisible. So we email halfway around the world, "talking" to America, Japan and Russia. But in the evening, over dinner at the family table, many a man remains silent. He also signals "please don't disturb". The wife no longer seems to be able to get to him. The children want attention, he interprets this as annoyance. "Why am I not James Bond?" some people ask themselves. A hot guy with a hot body and an even hotter sports car. Escape, just get away from this life. It's still easier than confronting yourself. So many people seek their salvation in parallel worlds. This phenomenon seems to be widespread, as is the mistaken belief that there is an easy way to get to the real life.
It's a story about closeness and distance. We can't stand the closeness any more. It's easier to email Natasha from Moscow than to have a sensible conversation with Trudi in the living room next door. "You can't have a conversation with Trudi either", is that what you're thinking now? Yes, but hello? Then why haven't you done something about it already? "Because it's so comfortable", I hear you say. Fears and a latent sense of being overwhelmed in our everyday lives are driving us away. As a platform, internet worlds seem to be the saviors for this distress. But it would be worth simply thinking about burnout. Definitions can be found at www.swissburnout.ch. There you will also find a short self-test that will show you how close you are to the abyss.
And for those who just want to play, I recommend the new edition of good old Monopoly. You can also buy properties there - now even with a credit card. Or how about a good glass of red wine by the fire and a chat with friends? Dear readers, ONE life must be enough.
Karin Müller is a communications consultant in Zurich
