Technology and Social Interaction

Technology has had a great influence on the way society communicates with each other. It is truly amazing to think that almost anyone in the world can easily be contacted. Through cell phones, texts, instant message, facebook, skype, blogs, online dating sites, games and so much more, we can broadcast ourselves. We can reach a myriad of people instantly. While two of my best friends were studying aboard in different countries, I was still able to keep in contact with them. I would be facebook chatting with one who was off to the pubs in Ireland, while I was reading a blog about my other friend snorkeling in Australia. Also, the creation of skype has changed the intimacy of how we communicate with others. Being able to see someone and their facial expression is key to a relationship. It is so much more personal than just words on a screen. In this sense, technology has furthered our ability to communicate with others.

However, I don't know if society, as a whole, has benefitted from this technology. Technology is omnipresent. It has taken over our lives. Read anyone's blog on "Media Diet" and it's apparent. We live as if our mobile devices are an extension of ourselves. We are constantly connected to our phones, computers and the internet. It is difficult to even imagine a day without being connected. So how does this affect the way we as a society communicates? I believe, especially with the younger generation, that we are entirely dependent on our technology as primary means of communication. Teenagers rarely pick up the phone and call someone, "just to chat." It's all about texting. Getting a response as soon as possible. This has made society 1. adverse to face to face communication and 2. impatient. Technology is just reinforcing our id. Our instant gratification.

Imagine all the things you can do online that is faster than actually doing it. Example: ordering a pizza online, instead of calling. Shopping online, looking up directions, reading a book or magazine. The list is exhaustive. While this is faster, it also takes anything personal out of the equation. For example, there's a new restaurant in town. Instead of asking your friends if it's any good, you just hop online and read reviews. While this is helpful, it diminishes conversations to have with other people. If this is society now, how will it be in 20, 50, or 100 years? Will people cease to have face to face communication at all?

Another aspect of online communication is safety. Many teen girls have run into the danger of befriending a person on the internet who is not who they say they are. Think about it. How easy would it be to create a fake facebook account. Or any account online for that matter. We trust too easy when we should be cautious. Technology is a great advancement. However, just like anything else, it needs to be used in moderation. We need to embrace the positive aspects and still communicate face to face with our peers.