Gopnik describes these virtual distractions as social media, TV, and fax machines. These forms of technology in contemporary America are ultimately reducing authentic intimacy. Gopnik even states that “it has been argued that the grid of streets, cafes, and small engagements in the nineteenth-century city – the whole of social life was consciously designed as an escape from paralyzing boredom” (156). Gopnik claims that back then people complained of being bored all the time; however, today, it is technology that forces people to stand up for what they constantly complain about. He also quotes the French poet Baudelaire and says "...he was so bored that he had to get drunk and run out onto the avenue in the hope of meeting someone" (156). This example demonstrates that to foster a personal relationship you need to take part in closed conversations and interactive encounters. Unlike Baudelaire, contemporary America tends to rely on social media to meet new people. These technologies do not show true thoughts, expressions and meanings; instead, social media decreases