Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has changed because of
technology.
In what ways has technology affected the types of relationships that people make? Has
this been a positive or negative development?
It is true that new technologies have had an influence on communication between people.
Technology has affected relationships in various ways,
and in my opinion there are both positive
and negative effects.
Technology has had an impact on relationships in business,
education and social life. Firstly,
telephones and the Internet allow business people in
different countries to interact without ever
meeting each other. Secondly, services like Skype create new
possibilities for relationships
between students and teachers. For example, a student can now
take video lessons with a teacher
in a different city or country. Finally, many people use social networks,
like Facebook, to make
new friends and find people who share common interests, and they interact through their
computers rather than face to face.
On the one hand, these developments can be extremely positive.
Cooperation between people in
different countries was much more difficult when communication
was limited to written letters
or telegrams. Nowadays, interactions by email, phone or video
are almost as good as face-to-face
meetings, and many of us benefit from these interactions,
either in work or social contexts. On the other hand,
the availability of new communication technologies can also have the result of
isolating people and discouraging real interaction.
For example, many young people choose to
make friends online rather than mixing with their peers in the real world,
and these 'virtual’ relationships are a poor substitute for real friendships.
In conclusion, technology has certainly revolutionised communication between people,
but not all of the outcomes of this revolution have been positive.