'Virtual time' is not 'real time'

MANILA, Philippines - A couple of weekends ago, after a long night of doing nothing, and for no particular reason, my friend Pablo and I had a sudden urge to shoot some pool. While searching for a place to do so, recollections of foolhardy high school exploits at pool halls naturally became the topic of conversation. As we drove, I noticed that our dialogue seemed to become extended. It was kind of late but these places should be open all night, right? As it turns out, finding a cheap, semi-crummy place to sink some combinations at one in the morning isn’t as easy as it once was. We ended up settling for one of the pricier pool halls, albeit with some hesitation.

After playing we hung around a bit more and got to talking about the sudden disappearance of billiards joints. Where had they all gone? We both noticed certain things at the pool hall we were at: 1) there were no young people; 2) the place seemed more like a bar with a lot of billiard tables and; 3) half the people there were busy twiddling their smart phones instead of chalking up sticks.     

After a good 30 seconds of deeply considering the subject matter and understanding all possible conclusions, we named a culprit: The Internet. The Internet killed the billiard hall. We had Internet back in high school, too, but it was slow; slower than a frozen turtle. Besides, the allure of meeting people and doing something competitive while trying your best to look “cool” was still more important back then.

The whole billiards issue has come and gone from my mind since then, but I can’t help but feel that teenagers and kids in general nowadays are getting shortchanged by the Internet. The Internet is a neutral force that affects people on a case-to-case basis and in that way it shouldn’t be detrimental to one’s social development. Yet somehow that only makes sense to me if the affected individual knows how to have fun without an Internet connection. Yes, social networking sites are amazing, e-mail is a blessing, and computer games involve close interaction between players — but seriously? How can any of that top sinking the nine-ball while you and that mysterious girl in the corner exchange glances? Not to mention the sheer joy of being able to say “Rack ‘em, chump” to the loser.

With Pablo and my other friends the Internet is simply a luxury. We manage to really keep it tight by actually hanging out and doing stuff; or not doing stuff. Well, we did do something last weekend and that was to stuff ourselves silly at Greenwich. Arranging a get-together was simple the second food was mentioned; lowered prices on a more barkada budget-friendly menu made it even easier. That’s definitely something everyone in my crew appreciates. It was a classic weekend afternoon, shared in the company of good friends with good food.

With the Internet you can video conference with as many people as you want, crack jokes, eat together, and hear each other laugh. In the physical company of friends, though, you can pull someone’s chair out and watch them crash to the ground. Then chortle away while giving each other high-fives afterwards because that was a solid move. When it’s time to say goodbye on the computer you bid each other adieu, click a button, and log out. Tell me that’s better than a firm handshake and an embrace and I’ll call you a liar.

 Celebrate the value of friendship and take barkada bonding moments from virtual meets to real treats at Greenwich. Join the Greenwich barkada at http://www.facebook.com/GreenwichPizza or follow @greenwichpizza on Twitter for more presyong kaibigan deals.

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E-mail me at enricomiguelsubido@gmail.com.