The need to be connected

Records, survey and statistics have it that it took 89 years for the wired telephone to gain 150 million users from its invention in 1876 to 1965. Television took 38 years, from 1928 to 1966. Mobile phones took 14 years to achieve the same number of users between 1983 and 1997. The iPod reached this total in just seven years. And the famous social networking site Facebook added its 150 millionth user within just five years from inception. Facebook was adding 50,000 new users per day to its site and perhaps even more today.

What started out as a craze among the young people of clicking and adding each other as “friend” became a sensational hit even to people my age – to the consternation of the young, who dread the possibility of having their parents “befriend” them and use Facebook to monitor what’s going on in their lives.

At some point, I reached the 5,000-friends mark of my Facebook account, so I couldn’t accept any more new friends. One businessman friend of mine said it was crazy – how could anyone have so many friends? But I could never resist anyone who has taken the time and the effort to search for me, and invite me to be his “friend”. So when my account reached the quota, I put up a “Fan Page” – which was renamed to “Like Page” – and invited those who invited me to be their friend to go there instead. Back then, I didn’t know a friend of mine had already so generously and kindly put up another Facebook page for me. Today, all three pages are quickly reaching 50 thousand connections, something that would’ve been impossible 10 years ago.

When I write an article in my weekend column, yes, I’m reaching out to a vast number of readers. How many exactly I don’t know. But when I post an article in all three pages, I’m directing it to around 50 thousand people who are intentionally connected to me for the purpose of reading (or listening to) what I have to say. That makes a major difference.

Advancements in technology give us the capability to achieve so much, whether in the academe, in business or in entertainment. Though all kinds of technological developments are happening today, much of them is driven by one fundamental human desire: the desire to communicate and connect to each other.

Whether the connection is legit or dangerous, fact remains that people need to relate. So much so that they’re ready to take risks to relate with others than stay in isolation.

I like relating with people. During my one-month speaking tour covering 11 European cities, I enjoyed meeting thousands of our overseas Filipino workers. Now that I’m back home, I stay connected to many of them through technology, through Facebook. To the best of my ability, I will continue to communicate with them and to all my connections. I will regularly send them my articles and keep them posted on my thoughts. I do think these things are important. I think keeping relationships current and vibrant is important.

While technology affords us to stay connected, most connections and relationships of this kind can be superficial. Some of our friendships may be on such level too. But men and women were created to be connected and related to people. We were not designed by God to be alone. That’s why keeping relationships current and vibrant is important.

This is especially true when it comes to family. That’s why I give priority to the Ilocana and to my kids, to keeping my relationship with them deep, genuine and intimate, not superficial.

The same is also true when it comes to God. I have learned that I need to be vibrantly connected with God, not through Facebook, but through constant prayer, when I talk to Him, and through reading the Scriptures, when He talks to me.

It’s ironic – just when technology affords us all the capability to be connected, we humans can still be all alone. But when there is a vibrant, living intimacy with God, we are never alone.

(Get daily inspirational quotes and thoughts from Francis! Send “Inspire” to 288 for Smart or Sun subscribers, and 2889 for Globe. Visit facebook.com/franciskong2 for more details.)