António CabeçasApril - 2013

Impact of technology on human relations

Positive sides of technology in general

Positive sides

Better standard of living

Savings in costs and time

Ability to communicate at

distance

Improvements in health treatments

New discoveries in several branches of

science

More education tools

Increase in productivity and

efficiency

Negative sides of technology in general

Negative sides

Overdependence on technologies

Creation of dangerous nuclear

weapons

Overreliance on computers and other

types of machines

Preference for internet rather than

human contact

Replacement of humans by machines

in certain types of jobs

Impact of technology on human relations over time – Past

New technologies in the field of communications have allowed people to communicate instantaneously, regardless of the distance that separates them, which made people more informed and connected with each other.

New technologies in the field of transports have allowed people who lived far away from each other to be together more frequently, which strengthened their relationships.

New technologies in different fields of science have allowed people to live more comfortably and safely, and to an increase in terms of life expectancy.

Impact of technology on human relations over time – Present

New technologies still have the same benefits of they precedent counterparts. However the increasingly faster advances in technology are responsible for some harmful effects.

People prefer using internet rather than talking face to face because communication by email or chat is much more faster and comfortable. This prevents people from making direct contact with each other, transforming their relationships in something artificial and virtual. People prefer spending time using new technological inventions rather than talking and sharing their emotions with friends and family. This prevents people from developing deep relations with each other, and makes people more self-centered and alienated from the outside world.

What will be the impact of technology in social interaction within 10 years?

Impact of technology on human relations over time – Near future

Within 10 years the way people interact with each other will continue to evolve and to be more and more influenced by advances in technology. Internet as a means of communication emerges as the greatest catalyst. The development of internet as a means of communication will allow:

•People who are working abroad to maintain contact with family members and friends in a increasingly more realistic and cheaper way, turning their new countries in more familiar places and contributing to their well-being.

•People to overcome the barrier of shyness and to express certain opinions that they would no be capable of expressing if they had to do it face to face.

•People to broaden their connections through social networks. It will be even easier in the future to meet people, who share mutual interests and opinions. There will be an increase in online communities.

•Workers to do more work at home and therefore spend more time with their families.

•Students to attend classes and teachers to give lessons via teleconference without going to school or university. This will reduce the healthy interactions and discussions between professors and their pupils.

There will be deep consequences in terms of social relations:

Impact of technology on human relations over time – Near future

•There will be a higher exposure of people’s private lives because people tend to share personal aspects of their lives in social networks. The consequences of this overexposure can be severe since this information is public and can be used by strangers or acquaintances with mean intentions.

•There will be no barriers of space. No one will be geographically isolated anymore. New technologies create a global country.

•There will be two types of friends. The ones made online and the ones made offline. Social interactions will not be restricted to work, school or parties. Network interactions will have to be added to this group.

•There will be an increasing number of online communities and forums arising from people’s growing need to share their ideas and feel social integrated and accepted.

•People who have difficulties in social interaction will tend to close themselves in the virtual world, thus avoiding human contact and involuntarily isolating themselves further from the rest of the world.

The growth of technologies will allow people to more easily overcome:

by • Using new technological features for entertainment• Making new friends online• Connecting with people from all over the world• Accessing to all sorts of information• Finding communities where they can share feelings

and ideas

Impact of technology on human relations over time – Near future

Sadness

Loneliness

Isolation

Ignorance

Depression

The other side of the coin consists of the negative habits that the technological growth will produce on people, directly affecting their capacity to interact:

Impact of technology on human relations over time – Near future

• Laziness as a result of being able to connect faster using the computer.

• Frequent lack of interest in social activities and systematic preference for online activities.

• Addiction to social networks, which deprive people from valuable working/studying time.

• Loss social skills and confidence on human interaction.

• Unfulfilling relationships with virtual friends.

Impact of technology on human relations – Conclusion

In conclusion, I can neither state that social interaction will evolve in a completely positive way within the next 10 years nor state that the negative aspects will outweigh the positive ones.

I believe it all comes down to one’s capacity to take advantage of the benefits that are inherent to technological advance, and at the same time to one’s capacity to create self-defense mechanisms from bad habits and dangers associated with new technologies.