We Need To Talk
I’ve been scouting a few things, so this “Dukes Up” is going to bee-bop-a-lula around a little bit.
It’s been goin' this way a long time, but word out there is that we’re talking to each other less than ever these days, with texts, emails, and online exchanges almost totally wiping out face-to-face interactions and phone calls. My old buddy Joe “Sansabelt” Sibilia says I’m the king of the telephone call. I think it’s a big part of how you build and maintain relationships and friendships.
I talk to people in person every day. The mailman, people in the elevator, the UPS guy, the custodian. I talk to the bank tellers at the drive-up window, the cashiers at the supermarket, and shoppers in the aisles. I gotta say, it makes you feel good. This chatter is upbeat. Christ, when I was a kid, I used to talk in church.
They say no yakety-yak contributes to America’s loneliness and depression. Another report came out and said 50% of Americans say their lives are lacking fun. When you’re having fun, it means less stress and a healthier life. Fun is the best way people connect. In-person experiences work when you unplug.
That’s probably why Gen Z has started a hackysack revival. No phones, no screens. The game brings people back together. Nothing but fun, laughs, and banter.
The other thing I spotted was that some people in New England are spending up to 25 or more hours a week on social media. Whoa, Jackson. This audience also reported higher rates of depression and feeling hopeless and addicted. My advice? Pick up a ping-pong paddle or kick around a hackysack. That’s the ticket.
So to rewind this ditty: call your mother, call your brother, and if nobody wants to talk to ya, call me. Keep your dukes up.
If you know someone who’d like these ditties in their inbox every week, have ‘em shoot us an email at darbyo@darbyobrien.com and we’ll add ‘em to the list.