Audra Nuru, professor of communication and family studies at the University of St. Thomas, spoke with Time magazine about how the common greeting “How are you?” has lost much of its meaning in everyday interactions. Nuru said the phrase has become more of a social habit than a genuine question.
From the article:
Many people are so busy rushing to the next thing – and the thing after that – that they’re never fully present for whoever is in front of them. As a result, interactions become quick and transactional, Nuru says: “How are you?” “Good. You?” “Good.” Then we move on.
“We’ve optimized our conversations for efficiency,” she says. “We’ve squeezed our conversations into gaps between meetings or errands, and we end up trading these updates instead of sharing what’s really going on beneath the surface.”
Part of the problem, Nuru says, is that people increasingly conflate constant contact with real connection. “We’ve mistaken being in touch for being connected,” she says. It’s possible to text someone five times a day and still have little idea what’s happening in their life.
