Communication and building

I took this photo yesterday in the city. It shows a new residential tower being constructed to the left and a communications tower on the right, atop a building. It brought to mind the relationship between communication and relationship in society as we know it today.

It's probably fair to say that many people feel connected, largely though the almost immediate flow of information from around the globe and, of course, through social media. But, are they really? Connected?

People are linked certainly but is there a true connection? Have people ever really been connected in the first place? I don't know the answers however I observe people sitting together so engrossed in their own phone screen that I wonder how connection can take place when those individuals are so busy "connecting" with others from all over the globe. It's easy to lose an hour just scrolling through that endless feed on FB for instance...Sitting doing so in the company of another person cannot actually be called connecting can it? Not with that person anyway. And don't we all know that the internet isn't necessarily a true depiction of reality? So...if connecting on FB for instance is called "connection" isn't it fair to say that it's a connection with non-reality? At least sometimes yes?

I don't feel people connect very well with themselves these days, generally speaking, and therefore cannot really do so with others. Again, I mean generally. I wonder if people need to find the courage (ownership and responsibility?) to turn off their phone, not instantly pick it up because they think they hear it buzz, and actually engage with themselves, their own thoughts and emotions, independently from the rest of the world, then apply that outwardly to those around them, immediately around them, and the world itself.

Can building better communication be the key to building better relationships with oneself and others? Can turning off the propaganda and conditioning that comes from the media be a positive thing? In my mind the answer is yes.