Impact of Technology on Human Relations

In the 21st century nothing has been more influential on the human race than technology has. Technology is a part of anything and everything and the thought of no technology would be considered the apocalypse. Two women, Jane McGonigal, a video game designer, and Sherry Turkle, a technology professor at MIT, both have their own perspectives on technology and how it impacts emotions. McGonigal’s main focus is how video games can be used as a model on how we as humans can make this world a better place. Turkle’s studies are focused on how technology such as cell phones, online avatars, and social media make a whole generations personal development different from past generations. McGonigal is extremely optimistic towards the idea of not only video games but technology as a whole being a huge impact on the improvement of earth’s population. Turkle is more skeptical on technology bringing up thought evoking questions regarding whether technology and its effects on us should be considered good or bad. Even with their contrasting topics both of these women are trying to show how the technology of everyday life alter the emotions. Turkle and McGonigal’s ideas are comparative regarding the emotional effect on people using alternate realities being positive and they also agree that technological communication has become a tool for emotional benefit in society, but their technological views differ on how technology will help us mature as a person.

Nowadays, children are glued to their computer screens, ignoring physical activities and spending time with their families. This not only deteriorates their health but also the bond among the family members .Secondly, the use of technology at workplace in the form of e-mails, cell phones , texts kills inter-personal relationships among employees . As described in the article, “Why Gen-Y Johnny Can’t Read Non-Verbal Cues,” “With a device close by, attendees at workplace meetings simply cannot keep their focus on the speaker. It’s too easy to check e-mails, stock quotes and Facebook. While a quick log-on may seem, to the user, a harmless break, others in the room receive it as a silent dismissal. It announces: ‘I’m not interested’” (Bauerlein 145). People are under the impression that sending text messages or e-mails makes them closer to their loved ones. But these means of communication cannot substitute for a meaningful face-to-face

As much as I regret to admit it, I’m attached to my phone. I’m constantly reaching into my pocket to check the time, make sure I haven’t gotten a new update, or to send a message. I do this even when I’m not talking to anyone! It’s become an addiction, having to make sure I’m not missing anything, and I'm not the only one who has this problem. Seventy-five percent of the world population has a cell phone, and that number will only increase. With the creation of new technology portions of life have become easier. Technology has changed the way we go through life. It’s made talking to people easier, as well as keeping up with the lives of others. However, the effects have affected the aspects of our lives that don’t include technology.

The way we speak today will be a thing of the past in the future because we are slowly getting away from interacting with each other in regular vocal conversations. The joy of hearing someone else’s voice with tone and emotions will be missed by some but never experienced by the rest due to them resorting to electronic communication as their source of interacting with others. The only way some will see other people is by using the video to video form of communication to converse with. People will not be able to appreciate the personal attention they will be missing by not mingling with another human being. Even the written form of communication will change drastically due to the evolution of writing styles, with the use of social media, and

Every individual is in constant exposure to all sorts of different types of technology. This continuous display then creates a major decline in all social interaction. People are content with their lives and remain unaware of what’s really going on in the world around them. In modern day society this can also be seen. With technology becoming more and more part of people’s daily lives, it has become more evident that we are drifting apart from each other. Communication is now being done through the use of social media instead of talking face to face. All through the day the average person is using such devices as phones, computers, and TVs during their free time and also when working. Activities such as writing letters along with the use of things like newspapers are slowly being replaced with the use of newer technology. Even books are starting to be a way of the past just like in the

Chatfield (2015) expressed that, “We began to weave constant availability into our conception of public and private space; into our body language and everyday etiquette (“I’ll get there for midday and give you a ring”)” (para.8); such statement made me agree with the author. We are constantly using devices to be up to date with the latest happenings anywhere, anytime, in which persons have become emotionally attached to their devices. It is important to be aware of current events and so it makes it convenient to always be connected. Also, another point made by the author was that, “…digital technologies mean my relationships with others and the world are extended and amplified beyond anything even my grandparents knew” (Chatfield, 2015, para.14). Although digital technology was invented for a faster and more efficient ways to communicate, it has made our lives less physically connected with others due to the lack of physical interaction. In the past, our grandparents had the pleasure of having verbal communication through physical connections, in which they were able to pick up on social cues, for example: facial features, gestures, body language and proximity; however, at present communication takes place with the connection of the internet with little to no social cues (Stewart, 2013). Digital technology is currently and

1) Based on the resources provided above, how would you define technology? Be sure to use your own words!

As the world enters a new era of technological progression and evolution, the popularity and use of technology for entertainment and more practical uses has skyrocketed. I have been alive long enough to observe some of the changes taking place. Some of these changes include including nearly everyone in high school texting on smartphone, so many people are choosing to talk over the internet rather than in person. We are truly in an age of technology, a sort of future imagined by those before us, where people keep their calendars on their phones and do work on tablets and computers instead of sheets of paper, and can video chat with anyone anywhere around the globe. With all of these huge changes happening to our world, I have truly been drawn

The developments of technology have been rapidly growing over the years. Every few minutes something else is being refined. It 's exciting to live through technological times and see the accelerated progress expand. Technology has greatly influenced the way people interact with each other. Social networking has connected with a great number of friends, families, communities, and had even helped some individuals find their long term love. American adults use technology for a variety of reasons, for example, Match.com, the first prominent site and the most popular, it has TV commercials, online access, and apps on the cell phone. Aaron Smith and Maeve Duggan discuss the statistics of those who access these sites, actually meet with their partner, and who has an outcome of a long term relationship. They compare the percentage of the users of the sites and smartphone apps.“One in every ten American adults has used an online dating site or a mobile dating app” (Smith and Duggan, 2).

Everywhere we look around us now is some sort of technology taking over and the problem with that is we no longer engage with one another as we did twenty years ago. It was not long ago that hand held devices were non-existent. During those good ole days people sparked up conversations during dinner, they were caught outside passing around a ball with their children and hardback books were not just on a shelf as apart of the décor.

Technological advances have certainly entered this era to facilitate people’s lives. There is no doubt that some new technology has been created to help operate or effectively manage time in a way that would be beneficial to humans. Technology significantly helps a number of people. A group that greatly benefits with the advances of technology is teenagers. Teens constantly use computers for schoolwork, networking, or knowing anything they want to know with a simple use of their fingertips. Furthermore, with the advances it is no longer needed to leave the household to run an errand such as going out to pay a bill or do some shopping. As technology advances and enters the life of mostly all humans many begin to question how healthy these technological advances truly are. A couple of decades ago kids spent their time outside playing with their friends by the same token with items that did not require the use of electricity. Kids and adolescents would dedicate at least a part of their day to reading books and gaining knowledge from there instead of social media. Distinctively today’s adolescents instead of reading books will go on the internet for a summary and inform themselves in less than 5 minutes, spent their time inside playing video games or on their cellphones allowing technology to be the only thing they know and rely on to have fun or be informed. Moreover, this guides us to the points Ray Bradbury makes in his novel Fahrenheit 451. Bradbury touches on several

Technology is used on a daily basis to accomplish specific tasks or interests. Modern technology increases human capabilities and this technology has evolved with years. Technology simplifies life in so many ways and everyone defines technology in their own way. They’re new types of technology on the market, this technology simplifies our daily lives. They’re endless demands as consumers of technology, people use technology to accomplish simple tasks every day. Technology’s used in business, education, communication, healthcare, entertainment and so much more. There’s an unquestionable impact of technology on society. Whether considering the plow, vaccinations, or the internet, technology has had a huge impact on society. While not every advance benefits society, there’s many positive effects of technology. Modern technology makes life more convenient now more than ever. Modern technologies like broadband internet makes it possible to access relevant information at any time anywhere. Today’s technology makes it simple for students to learn from anywhere through online education and mobile education, which improves the education system. It also improves the health system, most hospitals have implemented modern technology in surgical rooms, which may reduce the number of mistakes made by doctors. Modern technology’s more convenient than when it was simpler because, it provides an easy way to access information, improves the education system, and it improves the health system.

Started from 40 years ago when Martin Cooper developed the first handheld cellphones to the supercomputers today, technology has been improving in a pace that people could not imagine. Just think about it, our ancestor wouldn’t even understand what the term Internet meant. Over the years, critics have been discussing the pros and cons of technology. “Automation”, as how Kelly terms technology, brought its customers lots of convenience as well as hindrance (Kelly 299). Some people believe automation will eventually bring the human society into abyss, while others believe that human should work with these high-tech machineries and bring convenient to the public. However, indubitably from both sides of the fence, the fast growing of automation has totally shape the society today.

The question asked by many professionals is if technology has inhibited human interact, more so looking at social interaction face to face. Society has gotten to a period where teenagers, or even young adults, have never experienced a time without technology. Todd Link, a writer for the Telegraph – Herald in Iowa, communicates in his article mainly about the effects of technology and what the older generations think in this technological era. “The older generation [is] venting frustration over the work habits, social skills and lack of face-to-face communication skills of other generations”

With this new glass of Merlot by my side, I sit and wonder at the amazement of technology. Each velvety sip opens me up in my corner a little more just as technology has done so for the world. But now I must go off and ponder further on into an important philosophical question of whether this technology, endless as it has come to be, should be considered as a thing that has brought out the best or the worst in society. How complex a question! Surely I could easily look back fondly and count the many ways that technology and its manifold presence has been nothing but a blessing, not only to facilitating human kind, but also our intrinsic pursuit of society. But now, as easy as that might be, it would be a more healthy venture to play the