The New World of Communication

Some think that cellular technology has been the most important innovation of the century. Others believe that robotics may be at the forefront of technology. Regardless of your opinion, technology has become the center of communication. 

Even though this is a major technological advancement, is it hurting us? You have probably heard your parents or teachers tell you that your phone is rotting your brain. This may have some truth. When asked about how cell phones are making human interactions less meaningful, MIT sociologist Sherry Turkle states: “it decreases the quality of what you talk about, because you talk about things where you wouldn’t mind being interrupted, which makes sense, and, secondly, it decreases the empathic connection that people feel toward each other”(Suttie, 2015). Humans naturally gravitate towards community and are meant to be social. Through socialization, we emotionally connect with deeper feelings to understand each other. In the last decade, our connections with others are diminishing. Catherine Steiner-Adair, an EdD and clinical psychologist states, “It puts everybody in a nonverbal disabled context, where body language, facial expression, and even the smallest kinds of vocal reactions are rendered invisible.” (Steiner-Adair) 

Socializing with others is becoming more difficult because our generation has grown up with social media and access to electronic devices. As research shows, during adolescence, we are not recognizing necessary social cues and interactions due to the constant interruption of our cell phones. Our cognitive biases are manipulated due to examples of interactions and communication from TV shows, YouTube, and Netflix. 

Furthermore, technological advancements could affect human evolution. Instead of critiquing how the human brain and social skills are developing at different paces, it may be a sign of a new period in our development. As Charles Darwin said, “all species are supposed to change as time goes on”. Author Manuj Aggarwal has a different opinion than most on the modern reliance on technology. Aggarwal argues, “Our minds are processing information at ever-increasing speeds…it wouldn’t be wrong to say that the human mind is slowly evolving to adapt to this world of automation, complexity, and know-how.” (Aggarwal ,2017) So, is complex social interactions just as outdated as the telegram? It can be argued that social media and streaming platforms are opening up a number of opportunities to connect and contact others across the world.