You KNOW someone got your email, but they are just not answering. You KNOW someone sees you called their cell phone, but they just did not pick up. How does this make you feel? Is there a mutual understanding? We all do it to each other. Does this make it hurt less? When will they call you back? Today? Tomorrow?

In the old days, attempts at communication required more effort, so there were fewer. This meant that every attempt must be met with a reply. Now, there is just too much. We as a society have come to accept that with so many attempts at communication, it is impossible to respond to each one promptly. Therefore, we have arrived at a mutual understanding, a tolerance, a lenience, an expectation that our expectations may not be met. A byproduct has been the devaluation of this form of interaction. There is no other way. We have become desensitized to each other’s attempts to reach out to one another, by email, and by phone. What is next?