The Effect of Increasing Technology on Real Relationships

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A big problem in today’s society is the lack of intimate, face-to-face relationships. By this, I mean relationships that aren’t maintained the majority of the time behind the screen of a phone or tablet. Genuine conversations that aren’t happening through text messages tend to get awkward fast, and end even faster nowadays. This is a depressing truth. As texting has become more prevalent, interpersonal communication has plummeted—leaving a broken and damaged social economy in need of repair. Texting does have it upsides, however. It is faster, convenient, and it’s much easier to meet new people, and create new friendships that can be maintained through electronic conversation. Although, those perks will never be able to replace the warmth and comfort that a well-functioning, face-to-face relationship offers.
This texting age has brought on the downfall of genuine communication. The majority of people don’t really know the meaning of a “real” relationship anymore. A long time ago, sitting down and talking with another person for hours on end was normal. Now, however, it’s a foreign, scary thing. We seem to find it easier to hide behind our phones. The same things can be said over text that would be said in a vocal conversation, but there is something absent. As many have figured out—it is substance. According to Dr. Grohol, transmitting words through a device to another device does not leave room for feelings, emotions, body language, and voice inflection (Maintaining Healthy Relationships in College). Body language is a huge part of communication, but we can’t use it as a valid tool anymore because we rarely talk face to face. In fact, as stated by Patricia Harmon in “Does Texting Affect Emotional Intelligence?” up to 93% of comm...

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...to worry about. Setting a goal to change this is only the first step, but it is a start. Many generations talk about how awful it is that our world has been consumed by electronics, but they don’t actually ever act upon their words. Once our nation, and others across the world realize what they are missing, and the mistakes they may have made, the movement to jumpstart legitimate interpersonal communication will begin in earnest. The recovery and recuperation period, so to speak, will be long and strenuous; but it will be worth it in the end when our need to be whole again—as a society—is fulfilled.

Works Cited

Harmon, Patricia. "Does Texting Affect Emotional Intelligence?”. Academic Search Elite. 2013. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.
Quinn-Szcesuil, Julia. "Maintaining Healthy Relationships in College”. Collegexpress Magazine, Academic Search Elite, 2013. Web. 4 Mar. 2014.

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