The Silent Society

A Story by palfor03

Explores the effect of modern technology and social networking on society!

I waited patiently in the metro train station. There was a decent amount of people around, yet I still felt alone. It was quiet and everyone had dull looks on their faces. The only noticeable noise came from a trio of children. They were playing some sort of game as their guardian looked intently at her smartphone. She was quite attractive and was probably around my age �" perhaps a fellow college student at another university working a side job. I wished I could talk to her, but she was so captivated by the glowing gadget in her hands. Besides, I had some debilitating social issues that made it difficult for me to talk to other people �" it would be a disaster if I had tried to say anything anyways. I always seemed to stammer and bring up awkward things when I spoke in social situations, but that never killed my desire to be social.

At a distance there was a man and a woman who seemed to be his wife. She seemed to be upset at him, but he looked neutral as he coolly swiped his finger across his large, notebook sized, electronic device. He wore a thick, impenetrable coat with many layers underneath. Suddenly, a gust started to build up. The train I was waiting for was finally arriving.

The doors slid open and people quickly tried to squish themselves in the cramped sized train. “My God people are rude, don’t push me” a lady said, but the young man who had done so was completely tuned out with his loud rock music blasting out of his marble sized ear buds.

I was lucky and quickly found seats on my way inside. I sat down and made myself comfortable. As I looked up, I realized that the attractive young woman who was watching over the young children at the station was sitting across from me. She was slender with long black hair, clearly at the prime of her youth. I thought to myself how I had no chance since she looked like one of those popular girls that did not care for shy ones like me. She sternly told the children to sit, behave, and quit fooling around with one another.

The train ride to campus often took me about thirty five minutes, and I usually studied for my classes at this time. Today was different though; I was dying to speak to this beautiful girl in front of me. My heart raced as I thought of what to say and a million thoughts went through my mind. I couldn’t think of how to start a conversation. I thought, “will she think I’m weird for just saying hello? Maybe I should complement her. Actually, maybe I should just be quiet…”

“h-h-hey there” I said nervously. She looked at me and smiled with hesitation.

“t-t-that’s a nice p-p-phone you have there”

“thanks…”

Despite my social awkwardness, I knew she didn’t to speak with me. She didn’t want to speak with anybody. She just wanted to be alone with her phone, in peace. And so, I accepted defeat and looked away. Anywhere but across from me.

I realized that she wasn’t as attractive once I got a good look at her. I think I just wanted to talk. Being social with strangers seemed to be the new taboo. In a cramped train with hundreds of people, the only way to be social was through a smartphone.

The train stopped and I realized that I had eventually reached my destination. I glanced at the girl once more. Her eyes were still fixed on her phone as the children she was with interacted in silence, doing their best to remain obedient to her rules.

I finally arrived at my college campus and paced to my Anthropology class. The professor, an old bald man with a round face walked in soon after I had made myself comfortable. He said, “today we’ll be watching a video �" all I asked is that you watch and take some notes”. I felt relieved that it wasn’t going to be another one sided lecture where he was going to blab at us for an hour and a half.

The video started and I saw various stages of man’s evolution. Apparently we had always been social creatures, but to me, it seemed like a myth, especially after my experience in the morning with the young girl that I had tried to talk to in the train.

A group of chimps were shown. They were extremely social �" playing, grooming one another, and staying together. “Genetically, chimps and humans are ninety-six percent the same” the narrator on the video said. What about the other four percent? I chuckled to myself as I began to imagine how social they would be if they had the capability to use technology and social media like we did. They’d all be using their headphones instead of interacting with each other, I declared.

A girl looked back at me as I blurted out laughing to myself and said, “you’re weird”. Trying to respond, I said, “I-I-I” as she walked away. The one time someone initiates with me today and yet I still end up defeated and embarrassed, I thought.

The train ride on the way back was more of the same: impersonal people with blank stares on their faces.

Finally, the day was over and I arrived at my house. The family I thought, the staple of every human society. I dropped off my bag in my room and excitedly rushed to the dining room where there was an aroma of delicious smelling pasta. “H-h-hey everyone!” I said. “SHHHHHHH” my step father blurted. “Can’t you see we’re watching this new zombie show?” Completely embarrassed I looked at my mother and she said, “watch”. My sister didn’t say anything , glaring at her new Macbook.