What Aziz Ansari taught me about technology and human interaction
I recently listened to a Freakonomics podcast episode titled "Aziz Ansari Needs Another Toothbrush." Go ahead and listen to it after reading this blog post. :)
While it wasn't as entertaining or laugh-inducing as I expected, I was surprised how enlightened I was after listening to it.
There were two points that Aziz made that stood out to me.
The first one was how Aziz dealt with his compulsion with checking his Facebook and Twitter accounts constantly. He deleted those apps from his phone and went completely cold turkey on social media.
Next was how he deals with fans who want to take pictures with him on the street. He doesn't allow these people to take pictures with him, but instead shakes their hands, asks their names, and has a genuine conversation with them for a couple of minutes.
These seemingly unrelated things struck a chord with me.
I think it highlights how someone truly understands the values of human interaction and how technology can negatively impact how you engage with others.
I certainly appreciate technology and how it has changed and improved the way we live our lives. But I certainly believe that some of the old-school ways of doing things, like writing things down by hand, can make you more productive.
Overall, I think we live in an amazing world where we can do unbelievable things that are facilitated by technology. Hell, I've made it my career to help build these tools.
But like Aziz taught me, if you understand the ways technology are negatively impacting your life, you can make the changes that allow you to form stronger and deeper connections with the people around you.
What do you think about the relationship between technology and deeper connections?
I’d love to hear from you. Write your thoughts in the comments, tweet at me @mikewchan, or email me at mike@mikewchan.com.
I hope you found this interesting! If so, please share this article with the share buttons on the left. Then sign up for my email list below and connect with me on Twitter for future updates. And check out my podcast at GoandGrowPodcast.com!