There’s No Substitute for Meeting in Person. Here’s Why.
Face to face meetings seem like a lot more work than using social media, but they are more energizing.
Meeting with friends, customers or associates is worth the effort, and we should not be ambivalent as research into this topic shows. You’ll likely find that you enjoyed it and found it rewarding. Resist the urge to text or use a video call as a substitute for seeing others across the table. It is not the same as meeting in person. Yes, it takes mental energy, but like going to the gym, the more you put into it, the more you get back. Think of technology connections as “social snack”, temporarily satisfying, but the desire for connection soon returns.
Meeting face to face requires us to think more about what we say and be aware of our body language. It is harder when the topic is emotional, difficult, or intense. But can we have those conversations over a tiny screen? I think not. Social media is not going to really solve loneliness as interpersonal contact with another human restores and maintains our connections with one another.
The author of this article along with other researchers surveyed 100 people five times a day asking about loneliness or how connected they felt. True, all social interactions through technology reduced loneliness, but face to face meetings or phone calls were best. In another, larger study, the results were the same.
Any back-and-forth connection is better than nothing especially for those who are going through personal turmoil or are separated by distance.
Remember that face to face meetings require more energy, planning and attention, but it does meet a basic need and is energy renewing and our social appetite is filled once again.
From an article in the WSJ March 9, 2023 by Jeffrey Hall