Irony knocks at the door of the most connected generations; we are also the most lonesome. We are all doomscrollers and know the exact meme to share with each friend. Yet, when it’s been a hard day at work or a fight with a loved one, who hasn’t scrolled through their contacts, looking for anyone they can talk to? Who hasn’t come up empty? Look, we all know that to make friends as a grown-up is easier said than done. With the crazy work schedules, the winding commute and family commitments, staying emotionally connected is rather difficult. Nothing can replace the dulcet trickle of a friend’s voice on the phone after a disastrous day, but something does come pretty close. Enter the audio call app.
Yes, folks! This just in, it’s cool to call once more. After the sheer isolation of the pandemic, people are now realising the positives of talking. Nothing can compare to the utter comfort of hearing another person’s voice. Texting may be much more efficient, but it’s the intimacy people are starved of. We all have those perfectly crafted replies, a “ haha” to shake off the hurt or an “ lol” to disguise the despair. What we are hunting for is the soothing presence of another, a concerned voice asking how our day was. More often than not, as we grow into adulthood, the urge to make friends and not friendly acquaintances just slips our mind.
We have a native’s fluency in emojis and textspeak, but beyond corporate jargon and small talk, we are often flailing for words in person. Funnily enough, the technology we are so reliant on has a remedy for this, too. With the right find friends app, connection is right within our reach. One can find people who share our hobbies, professions or even the same unwavering support for RCB ( or the same broken humour, you get the drift). Voices strip away the pretence of the masks we put on for the world.
Once upon a time, relying on the internet to make friends sounded sad, tragic even. Today, it’s just you being smart, taking control of your social life. We in the modern world no longer depend on happenstance to find our friends. Today, it is simply a by-product of embracing life as it evolves to make online friends. It’s human resistance to despair, joy. There’s something revolutionary in choosing to talk instead of just texting. It has far more presence. It’s very intentional in a world of fake laughter and polite dismissiveness. It forces you to actually engage, be an active participant and respond to another person in real-time. In the age of endless scrolling and instant messaging. Slowing down with a one-to-one conversation feels like a rather radical act. These apps simply give us tools to focus that attention, to build connections consciously, and to engage with people who align with who we are becoming. Even in a world run by algorithms, the most human thing we can still do is talk.