For all of you who have been living abroad for a longer amount of time this is no news: Skype can be so annoying! All the others probably think: But why? It's the easiest way to stay in touch with your friends, family and loved ones.
Well yes, this is true. Within a second of a mouse click you are able to be in the living room with your friends and watch them watching TV or you are able to see a friend who is on the complete other side of the planet. Since it is for free to video call someone, you can stay online talking with them for hours and hours. As a matter of fact, once I was preparing for a date (a long, long time ago...) and, unfortunately, was home alone. So I rang up a friend in another country and we were able to choose my outfit, decide on accessories and be nervous together before I had to leave. It was so lovely! :-) The other day I had my first Skype job interview and I believe that people use it for a whole lot of other purposes that I haven't even thought about yet.
However, I've now been living abroad for a couple of years in a row and every once in a while I come across a phenomenon which I'd like to call the "Skype fatigue". Right now I have it again and I have come to the point that I hate Skype!!! It annoys me and I wish I would never have to use it again.
Here's why: Yes, you are in the living room of somebody else and you hang out together but it is not real. You are only halfway there. At times this is a really soothing tool but if its usage becomes too much it is just frustrating. It basically shows me that I want to be with the people I'm talking to. I wanna sit with my sister on the couch and pet our new cat... Or I'd just love to have M&Ms and wine with my girlfriends while chitchatting away rather than solely lying in my bed with the laptop on my belly.
It is not that life in Madrid makes me unhappy or something, it is rather that Skype conversations have become really unfulfilled. I've once read an article in which they showed that many long-distance relationships are maintained via Skype and the couples portrayed in the article appeared to be immensely satisfied with what they got. I really can't understand them - Skype makes you see and hear people but that obviously does not mean that you can actually go and watch a movie together, cook a meal or have a cocktail. I've met some really nice people here, with whom I do lots of fun things, but I feel like my heart is broken in little pieces that can be found in a variety of places.
In the end, I know that being able to use Skype is 100 times better than sending a letter to your boyfriend and then having to wait for two weeks for an answer. Nonetheless, the "Skype fatigue" is a phenomenon that should not be underestimated. :-) There are gonna be times when I'm gonna be appreciating this technology once again but for now I think I made my point clear: I miss you, my dear friends! Real conversations, mixed with wine and laughter are what I am longing for. :-)
Cheers! Stay in touch!
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