Acknowledgement is dead
Image Courtesy: 500 Days of Summer / Searchlight Pictures
People forgot how to say hello. Pass someone on the sidewalk, look forward, mind your business, not like a human is there. Pulling out your phone to play with your settings instead of acknowledging a presence feels right. People have headphones in, so why say anything either? We stopped looking at each other, and somehow recognition of each other fell from a natural instinct to risk.
Surrounded by strangers and silence all the time. It's awkward, overthought, and weird to say something when, at the end of the day, everyone wants to be seen or noticed.
Why are we all scared of each other? Not everything has to have a motive, or flirtatious; it can just be simply acknowledging someone, being friendly and respectful. As humans who interact with one another, smiles don't mean 'I want you'; they mean 'I see you.'
I see a girl from high school, but let's pretend we don't know each other. I love the people that say exactly what's on their mind, like you know what, I do know her, why not say something, or vice versa. Who is going to be fake first, or is it, let's just acknowledge the fact that I know you and you know me. Maybe I think too deeply, but someone has to say it, just like the gist of this article.
Back in the day, people couldn't hide behind their screens the way we do now. There were conversations, connections, and strangers giving smiles. What happened to a little smile? People walk around looking miserable. We say hello to strangers on hikes that walk by, but not on a college campus where we are all the same age and have something in common.
It's not new to know that the statistics on Gen Z's social connections and interactions have gone down, living in a polarized society with a hint of a loneliness epidemic. People lack social skills; they are not able to engage and don't have that kind of awareness anymore.
We wait for the other person to act first, asking ourselves, are we doing too much? Or are we doing too little? The fear of being perceived, or misunderstood, when you have no idea what that person is like. It is threatening, almost intimidating, and what changed?
Small moments and interactions can be so influential to someone: compliments remembered forever, a smile on a bad day, holding the door, the simplicity of a 'hey, how are you?' It's more beneficial than people realize, and it's the easiest thing.
According to the World Health Organization, studies show that socializing is linked to improved health and a reduced risk of early death. It is powerful and necessary to keep your mind and emotions stimulated. They study the little things like "reaching out to a friend in need, putting away one's phone to be fully present in conversation, greeting a neighbor, joining a local group, or volunteering," and the benefits that follow.
I have been in a class this semester where I feel like I am not in conversation with my classmates. I realize that I do not take any kind of initiative to say anything, and then I am convinced they don't like me. It takes two queen, like how the phone works both ways, eye contact only happens when 2 people are noticing. Is it a choice to feel lonely? And to that, there is no answer, but you can put yourself out there and see where it gets you. Everyone fears rejection, but why does there have to be rejection in recognition?
People's presence should be acknowledged more often than it is. We have adapted to silence, and it goes beyond just simple acknowledgment. Third spaces are used for isolation rather than socializing. Insecurities run deep, anxiety fills every room, and initiative is overwhelming. People desire connection, yet live in a nonchalant mindset and environment.
Imagine going about your day thinking about saying hello to three people, giving out a compliment to a stranger, smiling, or just making eye contact with the people you pass by. I do not need to say anything to you. It makes our environment less scary, and the distance between us more comfortable. Loneliness has become comforting, socializing is feared, and now we live in an environment by choice, isolating ourselves from involvement.
Strike out,
Kaden Horn
Boca Raton
Kaden Horn is a content writer for Strike Magazine Boca. She is a free-spirited Leo who loves to write all things health, mindfulness, and beauty. A future almond mommy, who hopes to write for the benefit of all and for the peace of her own. You can reach her at kaden.horn813@gmail.com, or her Instagram @kadennhunter
