The last few decades have witnessed rapid and unprecedented leaps in our technological capabilities as the human race. One sector that has benefited greatly in the technological revolution is communication. The advent of technology such as the internet, mobile phones, emails, instant messaging, and social media has ushered in a different era in human history. The ubiquitous nature of these forms of communication has resulted in the transformation of how most people communicate and by extension how people relate with one another. This paper seeks to highlight various changes in human relations that are as a result of the technological impact in human societies.
Firstly, technology has ensured that people communicate instantly with others from any corner of the globe. This speed in communication is a stark contrast to previous centuries when simple communication to distant places would sometimes take as much as a month or more to be delivered to the intended recipient. Instant messaging has improved communication over long and short distances while eliminating the risk of loss in translation of or loss of the message in its entirety (Goodman-Deane et al. 221). Nowadays, the only fears we can have regarding communication challenges may be due to a lack of connectivity in their network or an internet connection. Even then, these problems are easily solvable in places that they are actually found. As a result of the increased efficiency in communication, relationships are often accelerated (Younes " Zoubi, 85). For instance, smartphones apps and dating sites have enabled thousands of people to meet their lovers and get into relationships with their significant others.
Secondly, communication in the current era as facilitated by technology such as texts, instant messaging and email often lacks context. These communication platforms have ensured that communication is stripped of tone. As a result, it is often challenging to tell whether one is being funny, sarcastic, whether they are merely joking or being serious. In a similar light, communication with people over the internet can sometimes be lacking in empathy. The personal connection just lacks when people have no personal connection to whoever they are communicating with (Goodman-Deane et al. 224). This a particularly true for social media platforms where people often interact without any prior connection or acquaintance.
Additionally, the impersonal nature of communication as predicated by technology has resulted in people developing non-committal tendencies regarding communication. It is easy to detach oneself from ongoing communication (Younes " Zoubi, 83). One can easily ignore instant messages, texts, emails or even phone calls without much consequences compared to how much harder that would be with face-to-face communication.
Finally, one cannot ignore the fact that technology has resulted in a good proportion of people becoming recluses who have abandoned socializing in favor of the pleasures they derive from the cyber world. More than ever before, electronic addiction is increasingly becoming an issue. Many people are becoming addicted to television, video games, pornography and the internet and indulge while in isolation (Goodman-Deane et al. 227). These are often substitutes that provide them with various levels of gratification and pleasure. However, they are also detrimental to the development of their personalities and their mental well-being as human interaction is a crucial need for many all human beings.
In conclusion, technology has resulted in perhaps some of the most important developments in the history of man since we learned to communicate with each other. The benefits of expedited communication that accelerates the formation of relationships and the facilitation of cooperation between people in different corners of the globe are perhaps the best examples of technology’s most positive impacts on human relations. However, like most things, it also comes with the limitations of increased isolationism, electronic addiction, reduced empathy, impersonal communication and reduced empathy in various interactions between different people.
Works Cited.
Goodman-Deane et al. "The impact of communication technologies on life and relationship satisfaction." Computers in Human Behavior 57 (2016): 219-229.
Younes, Mohammad Bani, and S. A. Zoubi. "The Impact of Technologies on Society: A Review." IOSR J Humani Soci Sci 20.2 (2015): 82-86.
