By Abby Roper | Broadcast Reporter
There was a time when waiting in line meant something different.
You looked around, maybe made eye contact with someone nearby. Perhaps you started a conversation with the person in front of or behind you. Today, those waiting moments are not filled with small talk, but with silence.
Heads are down and phones light up faces. The world is completely tuned out. We are constantly surrounded by people, yet we miss opportunities to genuinely connect.
Somewhere along the way, I guess that with the advent of technology, we stopped talking to strangers. Possibly to your surprise, it’s costing us more than we think.
A 2022 study highlighted by NPR’s report on talking to strangers and happiness found that people who interact with a wider range of individuals, including strangers, experience greater happiness.
Researchers more broadly call this “relationship diversity,” meaning the more varied our daily conversations, the better our overall well-being and happiness.
In other words, the quick conversations you sometimes try to avoid might actually be able to add something to your day or your life.
But in younger generations, we have learned to steer away from these interactions, whether out of fear or simply a lack of interest.
We fill every waiting moment or lack of something to do with scrolling. We convinced ourselves that it would be so awkward to simply talk. We assume the other person might not want to, or might even reject, your attempts. Both research and my first-hand experiences show the opposite: people are often more open, and those conversations are more meaningful than we expect.
For an assignment in my photography class, I had to go out, talk to someone I had never met and take a portrait of them. The idea was a Waco spinoff of Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York. No script, no practice, just meeting someone and hearing their story. Talking was enough, but to take a photo of them too, I was so terrified.
However, within minutes of working up the courage to walk over to an older woman sitting on a bench by the downtown suspension bridge, my discomfort faded, and something better took its place.
I’d say it was a connection.
I heard a story I would have never known otherwise. A perspective that was different and wiser than my own. And for almost 20 minutes, we sat there talking.
The two strangers weren’t strangers anymore.
This assignment ended up being the highlight of my week, and as we parted ways, Miss Pam, my new friend, said, “This has been the highlight of my day.”
Science can back up this feeling. Research from a National Institutes of Health study on conversations with strangers shows that people consistently underestimate how much they will enjoy and learn from them.
We are quick to assume someone will not want to talk with us, but we are all searching for those connections, whether we realize it or not.
Our generation is more connected than ever, but through digital means. People are often disconnected in real life. We are very well versed in how to text, post and scroll, but we’re losing the ability to engage with the people around us and make new connections.
Something as simple as “hello,” a comment or a compliment could open the door to getting to know someone. Maybe it might lead to getting to know their story.
Talking to a stranger might be scary, but it could change your day. It might remind you how many unique people and stories you can learn if you just look up and take the first step. It might make someone else feel seen and loved, and might just make your day too.
So the next time you’re standing in a long line, sitting in a coffee shop or walking across campus, put your phone in your pocket and look for opportunities to make connections.
You might be surprised by the people you meet and the new friends you make.
