Technology: A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing (Blog One)

Technology is an every growing, every changing beast, and a beast that has all but become impossible to slay. But what would society gain from that? It gives us the ability to meet others, go on virtual "dates", and in some cases, even consummate that love...without leaving the comfort of one's home. Business deals are being struck quicker, long lost friends are reconnecting, and the economy is benefiting from this boom in technology. We live in faster times. Something that our grandparents may not every understand. You sit in a lecture, your mind races as you struggle to write down notes, browse Facebook, check a news site, and fact check your professor (admit it, you've done it once). Years ago stocks were foreign to many, reserved specially for yuppies and businessmen. Now, you can use E*Trade to become your own stock broker, and make money doing it as well. With everything at our fingertips, why change what we're doing? Why change our hand in hand relationship and reliance on technology? Because although it is a beautiful thing, it is also a cruel temptress that could very well lead to the downfall of society as we know it.

Okay...I got a little melodramatic there. But it was for good reason. It's good and all that there is an ease to communication these days, but technology is slowly eroding away our social skills. The people skills that are so desperately needed for humans to survive. 

Obviously, this graph is irrelevant without the given information, but one can notice a steadily increasing line, fluctuating slightly from time to time, but a steady increase at that. Google Trends is a tool that allows one to see the trends of certain "Googled" keywords...the keywords searched? "How to talk to people." That's right, there has been a steady increase in the search of advice on how to talk to people. Doug Foderman and Marje Monroe of The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) did a survey of students who are actively using Facebook, phones to text, and Twitter...they write:

  "It saddens us to hear 16-year olds say that they would rather break up with their girlfriend/boyfriend by texting, IM-ing or posting on their Facebook wall than tell them in person (or over the phone).  When asked why, they'll tell you "because it's easier."  We believe this avoidance will have increasing negative ramifications on their communication skills throughout life."

Source: http://www.nais.org/resources/article.cfm?ItemNumber=151505

Doesn't sound too promising to me. Teens are taking the easy way out when faced with social situations. I don't like the looks of that. It makes me question whether the younger generations of today are learning the social skills required to obtain jobs, make connections, and interact with people outside of their homes. Maybe though, with the ever changing nature of social skills and technology, maybe by the time I have grandchildren, they'll be interviewing for jobs over Skype, or just doing it via Facebook or Twitter. Who knows, only time will tell.