This trend reflects our desire for more intimate and authentic connection in an increasingly automated world. Research highlighted by The British Psychological Society indicates that the human voice conveys a level of empathy and nuance that text simply cannot match. Even though we complain about the length of these notes we secretly appreciate the effort because it proves that a real person is on the other side of the glass. It is a strange middle ground between a phone call and a text that allows us to be heard without the pressure of a real time conversation.
Artificial intelligence has also entered the chat in a big way and most of us are now using smart replies that suggest we say sounds good or see you then with a single tap. This has created a weird reality where we are essentially letting robots talk to other robots on our behalf while we just supervise the interaction.
While this saves time it also raises questions about the future of human sincerity in digital spaces. According to a report on digital communication trends our reliance on these tools is reshaping the way we construct our social identities. We have to wonder if we are becoming more efficient or if we are just becoming more predictable. If the AI knows exactly what I was going to say anyway then it feels like the technology is doing the heavy lifting of my personality.
As long as there are screens to tap on and people to reach we will keep sending those little bubbles of text across the ether and hoping that the person on the other side sends a skull emoji back. It is the modern way of saying I see you and I hear you and I also think that video you sent was hilarious.
