No Communication Just Use Technology

Can We Talk in Person?

Today’s technology has become vitally important in today’s society for its rapid connections to the social world and connecting people around the world. Currently, technology has advanced so rapidly and changed the way people have been able to communicate with their peers. Communicating with people is possible through technology because of the various ways of interaction such as: Skype, texting, and other technological devices. In addition, technology continues to be modified and frequently used for people to continue communicating with their friends, families, colleagues, business associates, etc. in matter of seconds without actually speaking face-to-face. However, the problem is the more people try to interact with their peers through technology; there will be less interest in forming close, personal interactions and relationships with each other. Even though technology has influenced people to various access of communication through technology, it negatively affects how people maintain relationships because of the lack of face-to-face communication.

People have forgotten the traditional way to communicate through face to face communication because technology has alternatives to have personal interactions. Communicating through technology is not the same as interacting face-to-face, thus misunderstanding messages between them. The article “The Lost Art of Face-to-Face Communication” by Stacey Hanke, owner of 1^stImpression Consulting, Inc. states that sometimes when using technology to converse, “there is no emotional connection towards the other person to understand the tone, inflection, or emotion that is carried with the words” (para.4). Hanke reports that when people use technology like cellphones people do not understand the in-depth meaning of the message; instead focus on the broad topic. She affirms that communicating through technology may cause misinterpretations of the emotional meaning through conversations, thus creating a problem trying to understand each other throughout the personal interaction. Hanke verifies that conversing with someone face-to-face; more attention and focus is displayed in the person speaking because of their emotions, language, and the face-t-to-face interaction. In addition, interacting with technology interferes with people communicating verbally and connecting on a personal, intimate level. Avoiding personal, face-to-face communication affects the chances of close relationships forming and succeeding. Recently, there was a picture on the Internet where a young lady is reaching out her hand to shake a young man’s hand; meanwhile, his head is looking down preoccupied with his cellphone. Below the picture, there is a caption that reads in caps lock “Texting”, is more important than human contact” (“Texting is More Important than Human Contact”1). The picture is commentary on technology and communication and shows how people choose to communicate with their electronic device instead of trying to interact with the person face-to-face. The young man is a representation of society choosing to maintain connections and “talk” through technology; while another part of society represent the young lady who prefers interacting with the young man face-to-face. The image reflects the negative outcome of replacing the significance of face-to-face relations to associate with other people, because it shows the ignorance and lack of interest technology allows people to interact towards each other. Furthermore, overuse of technology may influence people to ignore the positive outcomes of face-to-face communication.

Some reports may claim technology is beneficial for people to communicate and become in touch with each other as an alternative to physically seeing or speaking to them. Such claim from the CSUN newspaper sundial published, “ProCon: Social Networking and Your Love Life” by Ira Caminong, states that “Social sites also allow for friendships to be maintained and old connections rekindled, because profiles give users the opportunity of connecting with distant friends and relatives in ways they couldn’t offline” (para.6). Caminong describes technology as a new way to relate to each other and keep in touch with long distant relatives. Ira supports that technology increases the many interactions throughout the countless connections available in the Internet. She informs that technology is beneficial to gain access with close peers and form relationships. However, Caminong overlooks the failure of face-to-face communication because interception of technology causes people to physically ignore and talk to each other. Another contributor Naomi Ogaldez, observes that, “People are not only behaving based on what they are learning from the media, but also through their use of social media” (para.5). She affirms that technology is a form of a distraction towards progressing in relationships and influences people to use it to their advantage and interrupting the use face-to-face communication. People’s excessive use of technology interrupts traditional communication because they learn multiple accesses of recent technological advances that replace speaking to each other. Ogaldez informs that the attention and focus on technological devices to interact with each other will decrease face-to-face communication. However, there are ways traditional communication prospers.

Face-to-face communication implemented during personal socialization increases the effectiveness of personal communication with others. The article posted by Virginette Acacio, “The Benefits of Face-to-Face Communication” points out, “There’s a feeling of community because we’re better able to socialize and interact with one another.” “We quickly build a bond that sets the foundation for trust and ultimately, lasting business relationships” (para.4). Acacio verifies that face-to-face communication is a necessity to forming stronger relationships that technology cannot provide successfully. Using technology can provide connectivity depending on distance but personal close relationships are formed and valued while talking one on one with each other. Using various technologies to connect with each other is not the same when socializing, speaking and familiarizing with one another. People depend too much on technology that they conform connecting from far away, which interrupts the ability to adapt to face-to-face interaction. Building relationships begins through verbal, close, and face-to-face contact which seems to fade because technology replaces the emotional effects that a normal interaction would value. Face-to-Face communication is fading throughout society and it should not be ignored because as technology is used daily, people will grow apart from each other while they stare and “connect” with technology.

Face-to-face communication is decreasing the ability to connect with a person through conversations. Technology offers people wide spread access to use their devices to interact and form relationships. Relationships are in need of more talking and socializing without the use of technology. Also, people that use technology should know well enough that their relationships do not have to be through technology, as it can sometimes fail. Interacting on a personal level is better than using technology because people can easily understand each other and know their true emotions. People that use technology are in charge of their own lives and should be able to distinguish the differences between relationships through technology and face-to-face communication. Face-to-face communication provides special significance to associate instead of using symbols or others “meaningful” symbols to form relationships. Traditional communication is an important factor that creates closer bonds between people when trying to get to know them. People take advantage of technology withholds from noticing others as a barrier that blocks people from communicating. Communication is effective when people talk to each other in situations that cannot be solved through technology. However, as long as, technology increases the opportunity to gain access to the outside world, at the same time people are losing their personal interaction. Society has rapidly adjusted to various technological communication accesses that do not seem to find an issue that face-to-face communicating is a valued opportunity to create stronger, successful relationships or bonds.