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The effect of technology on relationships
Effects of technology on personal relationships
Effects of technology on personal relationships
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As the physical distance between people grows, entrepreneurs have begun to focus their attention on creating ways for couples in long distance relationships to stay in touch with one another. Societal function has changed drastically and nowadays many couples live part of their lives in long-distance relationships du to work constraints. Modern communication technology is constantly evolving and as distance furthers not only people, but also the intimacy in their relationships, technology must evolve to match this level of separation to preserve relationships. Relationship technology, more specifically smartphone applications help exteriorize our emotions by extending our senses, which in long distance situations would not be felt otherwise. These technologies help maintain relationships which under normal circumstances would not be sustained. In this paper I will look at the phone application “Couple” and Sociologist Manuel Castells theory “The Culture of Real Virtuality”, to discuss these themes.
A technologist’s view for the positive potential of technological advancement would be as such, “as users we will come to rely on our handset as a single device to manage not just communications, but much of our lives. It will truly become a “remote control for life,” with massively enhanced capabilities, advanced methods of user interaction and in-built tools” (Webb, 2007). Webb was quite right in his statement, technology is truly advancing its capabilities and methods of user interaction. An example of this is the ever-evolving relationship communication technology offered currently and coming to the market, which allow couples to connect in more personal ways. Popular publications such as Ebony (2000), New York Times (2000), and W...
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... Factors in Computing Systems. Available from ACM Digital Library, 753-762.
6. Gannes, L. (2012, March 27). Pair app for couples strikes a chord in first four days. Retrieved from http://allthingsd.com/20120327/pair-app-for-couple-strikes-a-chord-in-first-four-days.
7. Marszalek, D. (2012, April 02). App happy: How tech-savvy couples are planning their wedding day read more. Retrieved from http://www.ctvnews.ca/sci-tech/app-happy-how-tech-savvy-couples-are-planning-their-wedding-day-1.1756931.
8. Smartphone apps to help couples in crisis. (2014, April 03). Retrieved from http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/panache/smartphone-apps-to-help-couples-in-crisis/articleshow/33168606.cms
9. Castells, M. (2000). The culture of real virtuality: The integration of electronic communication. In G. McCarron (Ed.), Introduction to Communication Studies (3 ed., pp. 220-251).
Physically communicating and connecting with a person will never compare to texting or any social media. There comes a time where as human beings we need someone physically here with us whether we need advice, support, or just someone to express our feelings to. In Ashton Kutcher’s article “Has Texting Killed Romance?” Kutcher discusses how romance has changed because of technology updates and how it has hindered relationships.
Researchers at the University of Essex divided participants into pairs and had them talk to each other for 10 minutes with half the participants having a phone with them and the rest without one present. The study was conducted to test how the presence of phones affected affinity, empathy, and trust. The results of the study indicated that phones caused a decrease in empathy and understanding and prevented the participants from establishing a connection with their partners.
As time passes society goes through numerous changes and many go unnoticed. However, there is an apparent difference in relationships now versus relationships in the past. This is because of the use of technology, specifically social media and texting. These changes are seen in almost every aspect of relationships, from how they form, develop and sometimes even end. But the important idea here is not just the fact they have changed, it is the notion that the use of social media and texting is actually harming relationships more than it is helping them. It is important to look at the causes and what exactly is happening within the relationships that is harmful. From there, one can start to discover what they need to change in order to not let technology affect their relationships in a negative way. Though there are some positives about the use of social media and texting, it is absolutely vital that this generation starts to recognize the damage being done to their relationships.
Technology has advanced a lot and has been greatly impacting our lives since the Industrial Revolution. The appearance of the mobile phone, the computer, and the tablets have all changed our ability to communicate with people around the world. Although technologies have greatly improved our lifestyle, they have brought many negative effects on our relationships and happiness as well, for instance distorting people's views on one another and bringing more loneliness to people's lives. Many people believe that benefited by social media platforms such as Facebook, it is now not necessary to talk to someone in person in order to effectively communicate with one and know one’s life. Others, however, believe that technology alone cannot replace
People have the fundamental desire to maintain strong connections with others. Through logic and reasoning, Sherry states, “But what do we have, now that we have what we say we want, now that we have what technology makes easy?”(Turkle). Face to face conversations are now mundane because of the accessibility to interact at our fingertips, at free will through text, phone calls and social media. Belonging, the very essence of a relationship has now become trivial.
Advances in technology have complicated the way in which people are connecting with others around them and how it separates people from reality. In “Virtual Love” by Meghan Daum, she illustrates through the narrator 's point of view how a virtual relationship of communicating through emails and text messages can mislead a person into thinking that they actually have a bond with a person whom they have stuck their ideals onto and how the physical worlds stands as an obstacle in front of their relationship when the couple finally meets. In comparison, the article … While Daum and X discuss that technology pushes us apart and disconnects us from the physical world, they evoke a new light into explaining how technology creates the illusion of making
Technology Is What You Make It The articles “How Computers Change the Way We Think” by Sherry Turkle and “Electronic Intimacy” by Christine Rosen argue that technology is quite damaging to society as a whole and that even though it can at times be helpful it is more damaging. I have to agree and disagree with this because it really just depends on how it is used and it can damage or help the user. The progressing changes in technology, like social media, can both push us, as a society, further and closer to and from each other and personal connections because it has become a tool that can be manipulated to help or hurt our relationships and us as human beings who are capable of more with and without technology. Technology makes things more efficient and instantaneous.
Social relationships are essential for one to function properly within today’s society. Cell phones have affected social relationships by changing them from social conduct to contacting someone through a text message. “ Research in human interaction using communication technology like text messages and phone calls could deepen an understanding on how society manages their everyday life” (Rippen). Cell phones have become such a necessity in everyday life that cell phone users rely on a device to manage their everyday social relationships. Cell phone users can manage their social relationships with the touch of a screen. The user can access facebook, send a tweet, send an email, text, or call anyone anywhere in the world. As of lately cell phone users seem to be driven by their own need to be connected to anyone with in seconds. Some people find it overwhelming when it comes to manage their social relationships and have issues when confronted with human contact.
Dretzin, Rachel, prod. Digital Nation: Life on the Virtual Fron. Dir. Rachel Dretzin. 2010. PBS. Web. 6 Nov. 2013.
Thompson, C. (2008, September 7). Brave new world of digital intimacy. The New York Times.
Over the last century, information technology, such as the Internet, has brought our society forward and helps us get through life more efficiently and conveniently. In addition, it helps making global communication easier and faster as compared to hand-written mails that may take days if not weeks to reach its intended recipient. However, with such luxury and convenience, there is a debate whether the way we currently interact with fellow human beings with the help of technology is good or bad to our personal relationships. The Internet has increased the amount of communication globally, yet ironically the very technology that helps us increase our communication hinders our ability to socialize effectively in real life and create a healthy interpersonal relationship.
Technology is one thing that is ever changing in today’s society. When the cell phone was first invented it was big and bulky. It could barely fit in your pocket now; cell phones are made thin and small. Before it would have been unusual to see children with cell phones even if they were teenagers now, it’s normal to see those things. Fifty-three percent of the kids six years old have cell phones and seventy-five percent of children twelves to seventeen have cell phones. Technology has far evolved over the last few decades. The evolution of technology has had a major impact on family everyday interaction. It affects the everyday life and the special occasion
In the article “The Flight from Conversation” which describes the effects of technology on human interactions, Sherry Turkle argues, “WE live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection”. Many others would agree with Turkle; technology and its advances through new devices and social media takes away face-to-face conversation. Her idea of being “alone together” in this world is evidently true as many people can connect with one another through technology, altering relationships to adjust to their own lives. Despite Turkle’s opposition, I believe that technology makes our lives easier to manage. There are numerous forms of social media platforms and handheld devices
“We barely have time to pause and reflect these days on how far communicating through technology has progressed. Without even taking a deep breath, we’ve transitioned from email to chat to blogs to social networks and more recently to twitter” (Alan 2007). Communicating with technology has changed in many different ways. We usually “get in touch” with people through technology rather than speaking with them face to face. The most popular way people discuss things, with another individual, is through our phones. Phones have been around way before I was born in 1996, but throughout the years, they have developed a phone called a “smart phone”. The smart phone has all kinds of new things that we can use to socialize with our peers. On these new phones, we can connect with our friends or family on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Technology has also developed Skype, a place you can talk with people on the computer with instant voice and video for hours. The new communication changes have changed drastically from the new advances made in technology through our smart phones, social networking sites, and Skype.
Hopkins, J., & Turner, J. (2012, March 12). Nine Tools for Building Your Own Mobile App | Entrepreneur.com. Retrieved February 25, 2014, from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/223177