Effects Of Technology On Communication Skills

Walking into a crowded public place, a person would find almost everyone's eyes glued to an illuminated phone in their hand. A conversation where someone does not pull out his or her phone is rare today. Groups of people are together, yet one finds them all more interested in their phone than holding a meaningful conversation. As today's society has been formed, technology is at the root of the world; it is a universal focal point throughout the daily lives of everyone. This technological presence can provide many benefits, yet these advancements result in a decline in social and communication skills. People believe that technology is improving the social skills because with it, a person has access to other people worldwide; however, it negatively

People have found "[themselves] subtly substituting electronic relationships for physical ones." When holding a conversation online, a person can delay answering until he or she thinks of an adequate response. Although this seems convenient, it gives people the idea that delaying a response is normal. This hinders in-person conversations because people are used to their online communication habits (Lickerman n.p.). With access to people worldwide, people feel less inclined to form connections in the offline world. The instant connection with others has many benefits, but for some, it causes a cease in the desire to have face-to-face conversations. Studies show that "greater use of the Internet can be associated with declines in communication" (Holmboe 2). People, especially teens, have become obsessed with social media, not leaving enough room in their lives for human interaction. Research proves that as a person increases online activity, he or she spends less time focusing on offline relationships. Virtual distance, a growing problem, is "a psychological and emotional sense of detachment that accumulates...at the sub-conscious or unconscious level, as people trade-off time interacting with each other for time spent [online]"(Lojeski and Westwall n.p.). Detachment becomes a problem with communication skills when a large sum of time is spent with technology. Technology benefits certain parts of social interaction. For example, the Pew Center for Internet and American Life completed a "study [that] challenged common perceptions that the internet pulls people away from local connections, chance meetings in public places like cafes, and neighborhood engagement, instead finding that internet usage often facilitated these types of interactions" (qtd. In Soltan n.p.). In certain ways, the world is at the peak of being connected, but the constant attachment to technology