Technology and Social Interaction

Do you think the spread of technology has had a positive or negative impact on your everyday face to face interaction? What about for people more generally?

I think that technology has influenced my social interaction IMMENSELY. I remember growing up when internet used to be dial-up, and digital subscriber line (DSL) followed thereafter. Nowadays, a majority of people are connected through Wi-Fi. Typewriters have been replaced by computers that have become more affordable. Though the spread of technology has made a huge impact on my life, it has its pros and cons.

In the positive light, it’s made my life much easier. For example, I used to do research by going to the library to borrow books and encyclopedias. Nowadays, I can search for answers with the click of a button. Also, I have resorted to paying bills, looking for jobs, shopping, reading reviews of products, reading the news, communicating with family members from overseas, and a multitude of other activities via the internet. I must say that my favorite is using my phone’s Fandango application! I remember how much of a hassle it used to be to have to call and listen to a recording in order to get movie show times.

On the other hand, technology has left a negative impact in regards to daily face to face interaction. We, as a society, have gotten the hang of instant messaging, and I, myself am guilty of it. I use technology to keep in touch with friends, family, coworkers, etc. through Facebook. Due to a busy schedule that involves keeping up with school, a paid job, and volunteer work, I find it easier to just post something on someone’s wall, shoot over an email, or send a quick text. Rather than write a letter, I send e-cards and e-greetings. I’ve become glued to some sort of screen. For example, rather than taking a nice walk at the park with a friend, I own a Wii-Fit than enables me to work-out with a virtual fitness trainer. I’ve stopped going to a movie rental place like Blockbuster since Netflix allows me to rent and return movies without having to go anywhere! I’ve also taken online classes that I used as credit towards obtaining an A.S. degree. Rather than having to attend class, most online classes use discussion boards and postings to enhance the participation portion of the class.

Outside of school, the only time I really need to interact with others is when I’m at work or tutoring little kids. Aside from that, I’ve been accustomed to surrounding myself with technology during my free time. I do think that many people of all ages can relate to this. I see that kids are learning how to access the internet younger and younger. Fewer kids go to the park nowadays. Why play outside when they have PlayStation, Nintendo DSi, Xbox, PSP, etc.? The elderly are learning as well even though, when compared, they aren’t nearly as absorbed in this almost ritual-like daily activity that many are participating in in the confines of their own home.

What do you think about using the Internet to meet other people (via online dating sites, Craigslist, message boards, fan sites, online gaming, or virtual worlds)?

I do think that using the internet to meet people is becoming more and more common. I have met a few acquaintances from friends of friends. Besides that, I don’t really have time to meet people online. I do have several friends who met their significant others in chat rooms. It seems to be more successful than the friends who use dating sites (which is ironic to me because people create a profile about themselves in order to find a match, but my friends who used it never ended up with someone compatible). They eventually gave up. I think it’s possible to make friends online (and that can develop into something more in the future), but I’m a little ambivalent about my thoughts of meeting someone with the sole intention of dating them.

Is connecting to others via online communities a viable way of creating meaningful relationships, or are we neglecting our everyday relationships in favor of these "virtual" relationships?

For some people, it’s possible for them to develop a meaningful relationship with someone online. I wouldn’t recommend it or resort to it unless that person is especially timid. Having someone they can talk to and open up to is valuable even if it’s through the internet.

For the rest of us, I do think that the virtual world is secluding us from the rest of reality. I think that it’s more important to keep ties with the people who are physically in our lives now rather than focus on someone who may be thousands of miles away. We tend to focus on the virtual one for different reasons. One example would be how it might be easier to talk about anything to someone who isn’t physically here to judge us and see our flaws.

Do we, as a society, need to focus on creating more "real" spaces/public spheres for people to connect, interact, and discuss meaningful political and social issues?

I do think that we need to focus on making public spheres more available. Being able to go to a place to interact with someone of common interest would be healthier than sitting at home in solitude. I think that schools do a good job at bringing people together through clubs on campus.

My Blog Topic

I will be writing my blogs on the topic of cell phones, possibly focusing on iPhones in particular. I am choosing this technology because I, myself, am an avid iPhone user. I feel that society has gone a long way from the use of pagers and transitioned to the use of cell phones. We’ve gone from non-color screens to color screens, from phones without cameras to ones that have video-recording capability, from touch-screens to smart-phones with applications. EVERYONE seems to own some sort of cell phone nowadays, from kids as young as elementary and middle schoolers to the elderly. We, as a society, have become dependent on having a cell phone with us throughout our day as well as have it accompany us when we do our daily tasks. For these reasons, I find the topic of cell phones to be of much interest.