The Chronicles of Flesh and Metal

"..But... never mind."
I don't know about you but a lot of my conversations have ended like this.
I'm from the awkward generation that saw the ethnicity in handwritten letters as well as the swiftness in e-mails. We didn't have a hard time deciding what was better because owing to human nature, we slipped into that which was more convenient and comfortable. Technology.
They say that had it not been for technology we'd still be ripping raw meat off bones with our teeth. While that's taking it too far, fact remains that we would be far behind in terms of development and progress. Yes, we have covered large grounds in those fields but since everything comes with a price, this did too.

What we gave up for the sake of societal and monetary progress was just as crucial if not more. 
Connectivity. Communication. Humanity. Care.
In your every day life you probably don't even have the time to sit back and think it through, but if you look just a tad bit deeper, you'll see that somewhere in the rat race to god knows where, we seem to have snapped the cord that held us together.

I feel for the generation that followed mine, deeply. Ours transcended into technology in our adolescent years, letting us taste the raw earthen way that bound people together. These kids, they've tumbled into the abyss of this cruel angel called technology since their infantile years. A six year old can unlock a phone and play a song of his choice these days. When I was six, I was barely learning to access paint on my box-computer that I sorely miss.

I'm ashamed to accept the fact that I can't keep a phone conversation going for too long. I prefer texting over calling because I can conveniently tune out if the conversation hits a dead-end.
All these soul stirring quotes about how people prefer meeting in person than have a conversation over the phone do more justice nuzzled behind the flat LED screens. In real life, it's just something they say. Some claim they make. Some worldly statement they throw because it sounds so damn good.

Truth is, our real lives have come to a grinding halt.
We smile at our phones more than we greet the people around us.
We embrace our virtual lives much more than we even try to soak up our real lives.
And that isn't even the saddest part. What's worse is that we've grown to like it. We've made it our way of life. Something so entwined in our everyday reality that we seem to have lost touch with the real reality anymore.

That being said, technology isn't exactly up for evasion. Because then our virtual lives would come to a screeching halt too, and we'd be left with potentially nothing.
Stepping out to admire the chastity of nature doesn't hurt. Neither does inviting people over for a cuppa instead of sending those animated emoticons of steaming cups that do nothing good for my morning anyway.

We've started to lose touch with flesh and mass. Our system has adapted to metal and scratch-proof glass screens.

In this digital world where someone's "last seen" matters so much, more often than not we fail to recollect when we last met.