Sometimes, as a therapist, it’s hard to leave my work brain at home. While minding my own business, or so I thought, at a local restaurant, I came to observe a young professional sitting at the next table. He was with his colleague. They were engaged in a heated discussion about the merits of outsourcing versus in-house accounting support. Not a conversation that was of any interest to me. At one point, the late-20-something guy next to me, a fit man with dark hair and a trim mustache, and a tailored blue shirt sans jacket, took out his phone and commanded Siri to find a study that supports the cost effectiveness of outsourcing. He had been speaking to his younger colleague, a shorter man with light brown hair and glasses, with the same ferocity as with Siri. Not only that, he lacked the word please in any of his interactions with his server.
That had me start thinking if our relationships with Siri as a possbile indicator of how we relate with others. So, I decided to do a sampling while out and about. And, yes, my very casual, highly non-scientific research seems to suggest there’s a correlation between our human and virtual relationships.
I witnessed a bold teenager the other day speaking to Siri with ease, trusting that it Siri is a tool she can use whenever she wants. With simple finesse she took out her phone and asked Siri how long it takes to get to the West Village if she walked. Siri told her it was about 45 minutes. She then promptly ordered an Uber. The entire interaction took less than two minutes. She’s oblivious to the privilege of having information and transportation readily available to her. It’s an unconscious privilege reflected in her nonchalant demeanor.
At her age I might have wondered the distance from my house to the Philadelphia, or the City, as we call it in South Jersey. I would have waited for the right weekend, gotten a ride from my parents to the town or county library. Then I would have gone to the reference section on another floor, and looked up the atlas that would have provided the information. I might have then had to calculate time versus distance. All of that could easily have been a two-week process. It might not have been walking for five miles in the snow to get to the schoolhouse, but it’s my generation’s version of that.
After the teenager got her ride I thought of my friend who loves Siri, enjoying and appreciating how lucky she is to get answers right away. She is a positive person and seems to find joy in all her friendships. She sounds delighted when she can answer a question. With a smile in her voice, she’ll say, “Why don’t we ask Siri!” We all feel lucky to be in her company.
And, then there’s the timid boy on the crosstown bus who asks his questions quietly. Siri responds with “I don’t understand what you asked. Can you repeat the question.” I do hope he will have a great teacher who helps him feel safe asking questions.
Could it be Siri does more than answer the queary of the moment? I think so. I imagine it might just tell us how we treat others. And it could possibly be an indicator of our expectations in our relationships.
As for me? I have yet to use Siri. In general I don’t easily ask for help from others. Perhaps I can learn from this and start a meaningful relationship with Siri, mindful of how I address my new best friend.
(All images are from the internet)
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janetzinn 