In such a globalized world, technology has had a major influence over the way we connect and interact with each other. People have so many forms of communication than ever before, and they all operate at high speeds and facilitate instantaneous multiparty communication. I feel that since the beginning of the 21st Century, the choices, accessibility, and affordability of communication technology have naturally changed our social habits in both positive and negative ways. Although the amount of social interaction has increased, the quality has decreased significantly. I remember when I was in the eighth grade, my parents gave me my first cell phone. I had never felt so excited to feel "hip" and connected with the other eighth graders who had cell phones. Although not everyone in my class had one, those who did clearly marked their latest toy as an indicator of maturity and technological importance. Since then I have realized how cell phones, laptops, smart phones, PDA's, video game systems such as Xbox, email and instant messaging are all forms of technology that make frequency a positive example. Easy access to these technologies means we are able to communicate more frequently than ever, from texting in the classroom to making phone calls in the bathroom.
In some social locations, technology has made people to write more and talk less. The ubiquitous and cheap nature of email has made it a backbone of business and personal communication. Emails have the advantage to send information instantly to numerous people and with the increasing number of people obtaining iPhones and Blackberrys, people no longer have to be at their desks to communicate. Last year, I took an internship with Wells Fargo and the entire time I was there I never saw anyone from the other floors of my office because there was no face-to-face communication. Written electronic communication completely replaced phone calls and personal interaction. Similar to this is the case of online dating websites such as match.com or eharmony. Sometimes people can get too wrapped up with electronic communication that they forget the personal interaction skills and therefore can't maintain a healthy relationship with a companion.
When I was little, I would always remember my dad telling me and my friends to play outside more and leave the house. He would mention how back in his day him and his friends practically lived outside unlike nowadays children are too wrapped up in video games. Now that I am older I now understand why my dad encouraged me to go outside and not get wrapped up in virtual reality. I've realized that they lower social skills and advancements in game systems such as Xbox Live has allowed online players to have multiparty conversations while playing with headsets on. Thus, this creates a "virtual" relationship while in reality each player is alone.
The technological advancement of online social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have allowed people to stay connected to family and reunite with long-lost friends from high school or college. A couple weeks ago, a person whom I used to be friends with in grade school friended me on facebook and it was good to see what he is doing with his life. Although we no longer communicate verbally anymore, it is nice to see where he is going with his life. Social networking allows us to share our daily lives and thoughts with with one another through messages and walls that signal our connections.
One day I stumbled upon a very interesting website, www.janusessays.org which correlates to how technology has impacted the way we socialize. A group of students and professors called the Janus Project which brings together theology programs from Yale, Cornell, Fordham, Brown, and Georgetown have expressed their concerns of technology on interpersonal communication. This project wrote essays worried about how email, social networking, texting, instant messaging, and video games have diminished our social skills. They also claimed that technological communication and interaction through devices will ruin our ability to interact comfortably around each other's presence. I personally believe that the Janus Project is too extreme in their prediction of technology's affects of communication. I think we as a society should encourage "real" space/ public spheres to connect in moderation. If someone spends too much time on technology, I think that our everyday relationships will turn into "virtual" relationships. Moderation is key to successful innovation.
I agree with you that video games and multiplayer technology such as Xbox Live gives people a false sense of being connected with others when in reality they are actually alone. People should make more of an effort to be in real time interactions with each other such as playing sports or being in a discussion group.
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