The Impact of Technology on the Society
Technological development has significantly impacted on the manner in which a society communicates, especially with its proliferation in the last centuries. With the acceleration of new technologies that overcome the impediments of space and time, one might think that these gadgets would be utilized in gaining understanding of foreign cultures, meeting people worldwide, maintaining and strengthening familial relationships, communicating effectively with colleagues, and helping people to be more socially adept (Wright, 2008). Nevertheless, some technological progresses have made individuals to be increasingly isolated, distracted, and overly stressed (Boyd & Ellison, 2008). Numerous people involve themselves in quite a number of relationships via technology, but occasionally many of these associations leave persons involved to qualitatively feel empty (Boyd & Ellison, 2008). It is obvious that technology has profoundly impacted on social interactions and technological advances have enabled people to travel on the “too-much- information highway” by just only a click to whomever, wherever, and whenever one would like to communicate to. This paper argues that technological advancements have made people to be more socially adept, which instead of helping has impacted negatively in the society due to much information highway.
Technological advancements have resulted negatively in the society. To start with, cyber bullying has arose as an issue of concern within the social networking sites’ cycle and this has resulted into emotional shock to the affected and abused individuals. Cyber-bulling is related to trolling, which is dominated by online confrontation coupled with controversial annotations with the purpose of initiating arguments causing anger to the victim and is very common in many social networking sites (Backstrom et al., 2006). Teenagers who are bare to social networking sites are susceptible to online sexual predators (Boyd, 2008). Furthermore, some users of social networking sites post movies or pictures with adult content that not only emotionally affect teenagers, but also adults are predisposed to watchi pornography upon their first time exposure to such content. Watching pornography may be persistent and eventually affect the sexual life of the victims. Therefore, the information available and accessible over social networking sites is not secure, and appropriate policy actions should be implemented in curbing the vice. Though Heather Hunter is not exposed to adult content in her love story, the musician’s affair with the young photographer makes her upset and insecure over the online blog (Hunter, 2004). Moreover, the young photographer is also annoyed and feels fooled by the musician upon realizing Hunters’ affair with him.
Moreover, technological advancements have more addictive power. More often the users of social networking sites get attracted and addicted to these platforms at the expense of performing other duties. These users consume substantial hours on social networking sites, and this harms their performance and concentration in their fields of specialization. This addiction may be dangerous to the user’s body and occasionally result into mental health complications (Boyd, 2008). Besides, the over usage of social networking sites by people predisposes them to depressions and anxiety. Social networking sites have possibly resulted in employees’ loss of productivity at their various workplaces as they are continuously busy-for-nothing updating their status and profiles. Teenagers who access social networking sites waste considerable time and do not carry out their school work and assignments and this has made some sites such Facebook to be totally barred at high school laboratories (Boyd, 2008), since their educational performance would be negatively affected. From the case study, Hunter is a blogger and always write blogs concerning her intimate and spicy relationships in the hearing of the general public. In fact, she admits of being an emotional exhibitionist making daily diary entries of her relationships without the fear of being misunderstood, rejected, or judged (Hunter, 2004). This implies that she is completely addicted of blogging online her relationship matters to the internet audience without feeling guilty that private issues should be exposed.
Technological advancements through the use social networking sites have led to shattered human relationships. Marriages and relationships have been unfruitful since partners may be subjected to jealously upon realizing that their husbands, wives, boyfriends, or girlfriends exchange love and non-coded messages and information with other individuals (Bulmer & Dimauro, 2009). Although it may not be a real situation on the ground, people affected shoulder the occurrences with seriousness and plentiful broken relationships are in the record especially in developing countries (Boyd & Ellison, 2008). The partners tangled in the love message and information exchange every so often take it for granted, which is in contrary with other partners who are emotionally tortured and as a consequence, are easily angered by the prevailing circumstances. This is synonymous with the case of the young-lady photographer showcased in the Hunter’s story. The young photographer upon stumbling on the Hunter’s blog immediately stops her relationship with the musician as she realizes that he is a relationship with Hunter. In fact, the young lady categorically says that she hates learning and knowing people’s affairs over the blog (Hunter, 2004). In addition, too much information restrains the Hunter’s relationship with the musician, and they almost break their affair, even though they end up being together upon her realization that he terminates his relationship with the young photographer.
However, advancements in technology have made it possible for people to digitally communicate with one another eradicating geographical barriers. Social networking sites, which are products of new technologies, are accessible and available from any part of the globe and have assisted to establish a connection with friends, relatives, and people in relation to sharing of information. Therefore, people are capable of interacting with one another in any place and time. Social networking sites have enabled establishments of relationships and bonding with members of the family (Backstrom et al., 2006). Meaningful relationships have been created through sharing of lives and technology has allowed this to be done via the use of videos, photos, music, and text. As a consequence, people in virtual communities have shared common interest and meeting new online friends. The case of Hunter is timely in regard to this discourse as she is able to meet a guy through an online blog whom she really like, and even proceed to begin seeing him and indulging in an intimate relationship (Hunter, 2004). Moreover, accessibility of social networking sites through the internet is pretty cheap, and only a click away making them convenient and broadly used by people to interact with one another.
Social networking sites are also informative. Both teachers and students employ them as tools of communication regarding classwork. Since most students are well conversant with various social networking sites, teachers and lecturers have wisely used these sites in leveraging the students’ interest in relation to the curriculum content. In addition, chat room forums and groups have been established in easing classroom discussions by posting of assignments, quizzes, tests out of the vicinity of the classroom setting (Wright, 2008). Teacher-parent relationships have also been improved through social networking sites, and this has made parents communicate and voice their concerns and anxieties as well as enquire more about their children from teachers without necessarily meeting them physically (Bulmer & Dimauro, 2009). To put this discussion into context, Hunter through her love story, is able to snoop into her boyfriend’s blog and discovers that he is dating and kissing another young lady who is a photographer (Hunter, 2004). After the snoop, she is heartbroken and convince herself that she is not better compared to the young photographer through her learning experience. Hunter notices the behavior of the musician (her boyfriend) and as a result, pushes him to spend a substantial amount with her after learning the boyfriend’s illicit affair over the online blog.
In conclusion, technological advancements can be unsafe and dangerous as far as human relationships are concerned. Social networking sites such as blogs which are products of new technology, normally contain personal details including events, feelings, behaviors, and thoughts which are available and accessible by millions of people just only a click away. These much information have predisposed victims to cyber-bulling making them to be emotionally shocked. Both Hunter and young photographer have been emotionally affected by their relationships with the musician. Moreover, these social networks completely addict users and Hunter is a victim and has become a continuous blogger of her private relationship matters. Social networking sites have also resulted in shattered relationships since partners meet virtually. The young lady’s affair with the musician breaks up upon realizing that the man is having affair with Hunter over the blog. Despite these shortcomings, social networking sites unite people as illustrated by the affair between the Hunter and the musician and also informative by enabling Hunter to realize her boyfriend’s affair with the young photographer. From the discussion, the shortcomings outweigh the benefits making technological advances be limited in regard to social networking sites’ use in human interactions.
References
Backstrom, L., Huttenlocher, D., Kleinberg, J., & Lan, X. (2006). Group Formation in Large Social Networks: Membership, Growth, and Evolution. Proceedings of 12th International Conference on Knowledge Discovery in Data Mining. New York: ACM Press, 44-54.
Boyd, D., & Ellison, N. (2007). Social Network Sites: Definition, History, and Scholarship. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13, 210–230.
Boyd, D. (2008). Why Youth (Heart) Social Network Sites: The Role of Networked Publics in Teenage Social Life. In D. Buckingham (Ed.), Youth, Identity, and Digital Media. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 119-142.
Bulmer, D., & Dimauro, V. (2009). Executive Summary from the Society for New Communications Research Study: The New Symbiosis Of Professional Networks: Social Media’s Impact On Business And Decision-Making. Journal of New Communications Research, 4(2), 93-100.
Hunter, H. (2004). Travelling the Too-Much-Information Highway. New York Times. (online) Available at:
< http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/14/fashion/14LOVE.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1> (Accessible on 10th April, 2014).
Wright, M. (2008). Moving Into the Mainstream. Communication World, 25(1), 22-25.
