Taylor Hyde
Professor Devon Garcia
English 100
7 October 2018
The Effect of Technology on Social Interactions
In today’s society, technology impacts all individuals immensely, whether it be positive or negative. There are ways technology can be beneficial, but it is negatively affective when those using technology are not aware of the influence it has on social interactions. Through social media, and day to day technological relations, face-to-face communication can be incredibly impacted. Communication through technology has become a necessity in daily life and has negatively affected the way individuals interact, as it has taken over many aspects of socialization on a daily basis.
The use of technology throughout the United States has grown rapidly over the past few decades. Thom File, a sociologist for the U.S. Census Bureau, reported “computer and internet use at the household level has changed greatly in recent years. In 2011, 75.6 percent of households reported having a computer, compared with only 8.2 percent in 1984” (File 5). Alexis Madrigal, a journalist for The Atlantic, states “More than 90 percent of adults now have a cell phone. For people under the age of 44, that number is closer to 97 percent” (Madrigal 1). From young ages, children grow up playing with smartphones; however, adolescents ages eight to eighteen reported spending at least seven hours a day on their phones. This implements an urge for the use of technology early on in these kids’ lives and will influence the way they communicate growing up.
As humans, we have the instinctive longing to be in relationships, and share our lives with family, friends and partners. When communicating with someone, there are many ways a person can send and receive information. We develop these skills growing up and use them in daily lives. When communicating face-to-face with someone, whether it be through gestures, expressions, touch or speech, a genuine connection can be made. However, with the recent sparks in technology, the necessity for face-to-face communication is no longer required as technology has made it possible for people to interact in similar means, without being in the same physical location. Zachary Feliciano, an author for the Connecticut Health team wrote about Kristin J. Carothers, a psychologist from the Child Mind Institute, “Carothers said that frequent virtual interactions through social media lack emotion, and when coming face-to-face with a person, frequent users of social media may miss some social cues” (Feliciano 4).
Creating fulfilling relationships is typically related to sharing our lives with others, and technology has allowed people to do so through photos, videos, and text. With the ability to keep our friends and family updated through text, it is easy to become reliant on these means of communication. Humanity has become so reliant and accustomed to technology, that it can no longer live without it. No matter the form of communication taking place, the technology can have a great effect on possibly upcoming in person interactions. The cell phone is the easiest and most convenient way to contact people; as a result, face-to-face connections are dwindling.
The necessity for human interactions is decreasing, as the overuse of communication technology is increasing. “Quality of the relationships may not be as great as those that are based in face-to-face socializing. A problem that arises from this is that youths may become confused (about) what an actual friendship is, Carothers said” (Feliciano 5). Relationships play an important role in mind and body processes and these interactions help humans develop socially and mentally as they age. With the recent developments in technology, the motive for in person communication is being lost. Through FaceTime, Skype and Snapchat, face-to-face communication is simulated and disrupts the building of in person relationships. When communicating through FaceTime, Skype or Snapchat, a more practical form of communication is available.
Social media has exploded amongst adolescents and adults and has allowed for people to communicate through apps such as Facebook, Snapchat and Instagram. “90 percent of teens surveyed, ages 13 to 17, reported to have used some form of social media in their lives. Seventy-five percent of teens currently have a social networking profile, and 51 percent visit that social networking site daily” (Feliciano 2). When checking your daily Instagram or Facebook feed, there’s a sense of connection with your followers, however it acts as a replacement for face-to-face interactions. There is plethora of opportunities to connect with those around you, without having to truly interact with them. A thumbs up on a Facebook post or a quick snapchat to a friend is can be more convenient than an interaction in person but may not be more beneficial. Social technology is valuable for contacting friends and family who are further away, but people begin to rely on social interactions as a means for contact, and overall it can be detrimental to the way we communicate.
Purchasing a ticket online or feeding money into a ticket machine allows us to meet our needs without interacting with people. With the click of a button, an Uber can relay information on pick-up and drop-off locations, and pay for a ride, eliminating the need to call a receptionist to schedule a ride. Self-checkout stands at the grocery store, food delivery apps, and online check ins for hotels are becoming increasingly popular. There is no doubt that these self-service applications are making our lives easier, but is it worth the sacrificing of human connection?
Teenagers, between the ages of 12-17, report using text messages in their daily lives more than any other form of communication, including face-to-face interaction, according to the Pew Research Center. The use of social media presents a large risk for adolescents, as it opens doors for sexting and cyberbullying, which causes long-lasting negative impacts on individuals. Amanda Lenhart, an author from the Pew Research Center says, “about one third (32%) of all teenagers who use the internet say they have been targets of a range of annoying and potentially menacing online activities” (Lenhart 1).
Teens may experience isolation and depression as a result of too much screen time. Caroline Miller from the Child Mind Institute argues, “in several recent studies, teenage and young adult users who spend the most time on Instagram, Facebook and other platforms were shown to have a substantially (from 13 to 66 percent) higher rate of reported depression than those who spent the least time” (Miller). When suffering with depression, people tend to isolate themselves, creating less opportunity for in person interactions.
As face-to-face communication takes place, vocal and visual cues inform the context of the conversation. Eye contact, expressions and tone of voice are important non-verbal communication concepts, which can only be expressed in person. With the invention of the Emoji, people can now express their emotions in a nonverbal way, through the use of a depicted character. Dr. Monica Riordan, a psychologist, states, “as such, emojis can soften a negative message—an insult, criticism, sarcastic statement—allowing significant emotion work that preserves relationships when messages must be negative” (Riordan 12). Emojis can turn tense texting conversations into a funny matter or convey the seriousness of the conversation. There is a range of emojis, from upset to confused, happy, excited and sad. These emojis create an easy and fun way get your point across without and use of words or socialization. While emojis easily portray emotions, the affective cues are much stronger and meaningful in person.
In many ways, social media has become a shield from reality. Ben Halpert, founder of Savvy Cyber Kids argues, “what you choose to write about, the pictures you choose to share and the comments you decide to post are all choices. Put together, these words and images form a representation of you, an impression that is absorbed and judged by others” (Halpert 2). Social media platforms have given individual’s the obsession of constructing a “perfect” life, as it allows us to build and publicize our lives as we deem necessary. Social media users tend to only post the exciting parts in their life, creating a positive image of themselves. With the ever-growing social media platforms, it becomes easier and easier to hide from reality. A notification leads to an easy distraction, and a loss for interactions outside of the notification. A like or a follow from a certain person can “show” and rank your worthiness. With the connection to people through social media and technology, the “perfect” life is depicted through photos and stories, leaving people longing for that perfect life.
Communication through technology has taken over many aspects of human interaction and has become crucial to everyday lives. Cumulatively building upon each other, technologies are evolving at an exponential rate. Soon, humans will need to change their minds, bodies, behaviors, priorities and wishes. Thanks to human imagination and persistence, new ways to modify ourselves for the better are emerging. Sooner than later we will need to learn to embrace the change we have created and learn to embrace the deficits of technology. While technology has many negative effects on humanity, we will need to steer it in a direction that is logical and fundamentally human.