Friday, July 17, 2015

Is technology hindering communication?

Am I the only person who's noticed that the rapid evolution of technology has been reducing interpersonal communication? Have you ever been walking down the street alone, noticed a person walking by the opposite way, and pulled your phone out to avoid making eye contact with that person? Have you ever been in a room full of strangers and, instead of introducing yourself and starting conversation, went to Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook for entertainment to pass the time? I am aware that the evolution of technology is to make life easier, and cell phones make it easier to stay connected and communicate with your friends, but will we ever meet new people if we continue this way? The generations after mine are more tech savvy than ever but I'm guessing their interpersonal skills are lacking. Kids these days substitute video games for board games, substitute NBA 2k for actually going to the basketball courts, etc.

The most important question here is will this cause the younger generations to lack interpersonal skills? Is this actually a problem that society faces today, or is it just society evolving as it has always done? Interpersonal, teamwork, leadership, and communication are four of the top five skills that employers look for, all of which are hard to acquire if kids never seek different opportunities because everything is already at their fingertips on the internet. Maybe I'm just sour that things are easier for the younger generations than they were for me. Or maybe it's an apparent problem with society today that be studied to improve technological uses and advancements for the better. Only time will tell.