Just-a-Pause: Humanity Over Technology

It is said that technology can't replace a good consumer experience; and rightly so. I am a consumer. I love going to malls (my hubby will annoyingly vouch for that!), buying stuff and using them, and then completely forgetting about them until I need or want it again. What's wrong with that?

In this day and age of relationship managers and loyalty programs, you would ask "What about building a relationship?" Nah! Me, I don't care to have a relationship with my hair dryer; I simply want it to work.

Being a touch-and-feel kind of person, you will rarely catch me buying anything through online.

That said, on one hand, I'm kind of fixated with Westside - now that's a place where I don't have to think twice about finding my size. On the other hand, while I am using a Samsung mobile, let me tell you where you can stick their latest Galaxy Tab.

At the threat of being viewed as a dinosaur, I'm not a great fan of swanky mobile apps or, even for that matter, speaking to customer care IVRs. Though visiting the ATM is a necessity, I'm not into a relationship with my bank. It's not that I am against technology advancement. It's just that the thread that is woven into a story should be heartstrings that ties into the whole brand experience; a monotonous recorded voice giving directions is so duh-uh. There is something about a human touch that just cannot be replaced by the latest blog post or YouTube video when promoting a brand experience. They don't even come close. No contest.

Though technology may seem to get us closer, in reality it is less intimate and personal -- less human. We need to speak to the human in all of us. It doesn't matter if it is on TV or radio or outdoor or, yes, online. If it doesn't recognize the human in us, it will never make the connection we seek. Words like "authentic" and "honest" cannot be manufactured; they are grown and nurtured.

Just imagine, if our real-world friends bugged us with useless chatter as much as people do on Twitter, we'd break off the "relationship." I don't use Facebook as a motivator to buy stuff. I click the little "X" in the corner. Maybe, just maybe, I am so sick of advertising and people trying to monetize everything, I just want to be left alone when talking to my friends.

Hey, ironically I am trying to create a relationship through this discussion, You and I, some of us are friends, and to others reading this, we've probably never met - or don't really know each other at all - yet we certainly have a relationship.... through "Just-a-Pause"...right?!. Technology is what you make of it. Yes, there are a lot of faux relationships on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc. But there is real relationship-building happening there too. Come to think of it, there are a lot more faux relationships happening where there is no technology present.

To some, a relationship can be sustainable with 140 character quips. One can also feel popular being followed by some 1517 friends on twitter or facebook. But, when you are alone and scared at night, would you feel free to call even one of them?

I will leave you with a thought: "A person, who will eavesdrop their way into your wallet, will not ease their way into your heart." In this technology straddled world, it's still about a human connection after all....all else is as faux as fur once the fuzz wears off.