The Negative Effects Of Face-To Face Communication

Recent technological advancements have had a drastic impact on the way individuals communicate. In this research, previous studies were analyzed, field observations were conducted, and an online survey was administered to determine the level of engagement individuals have with their cell phones, other technologies and with each other in face-to-face situations. Findings suggest that technology has a negative effect on both the quality and quantity of face-to-face communication. Despite individuals’ awareness of the decrease of face-to-face communication as a result of technology, more than 62% of individuals observed on Elon’s campus continue to use mobile devices in the presence of others.

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Due to the rapid expansion of technology, many individuals fear that people may be too immersed in this digital world and not present enough in the real world. In reaction to the overwhelming replacement of face time with screen time, a Massachusetts family decided to implement an Internet Sabbath each weekend in which no video games, computers or smartphones can be used. The father, William Powers, expressed the difficulty of the weekly detox stating, “It almost had an existential feeling of, ‘I don’t know who I am with the Internet gone.’ But after a few months it hardened into a habit and we all began to realize we were gaining a lot from it” (Adler, 2013). Many others have expressed shared concerns regarding the overuse of technology and its impact on face-to-face communication, so much so that some Los Angeles restaurants have banned the use of mobile devices to ensure customers enjoy both their meal and their company (Forbes, 2013). Throughout this study, the author sought to answer questions regarding technology usage and investigated whether technology affects face-to face communication negatively.

Besides, creativity is the ability to generate novel, useful ideas and innovation is the successful implementation of those ideas. With this in mind, it is tempting to suggest that technology has made

Prior to the internet it would have stayed in the minds of their authors, but our thoughts can now be broadcasted to the world as if they were worthy creations. The only thing that appears to have increased, rather substantially, is people’s self-perceived creativity: because they seem unable to filter out so many irrelevant ideas. In fact, the web has done a great deal to kill people’s creativity. From the use of emoji in lieu of words, to the proliferation of pre-determined functions to express our views – liking, sharing, and, in some cases, disliking. These new universals of human interaction promote efficient – but lazy – behaviours so that we can devote more time to consuming more