Technology and Social Interaction

I am not quite sure if technology has had a positive or negative impact on my personal relationships. Looking back, access to email and social networking sites have enabled me to stay in touch with my friends and family regardless of where I am. The internet has also made it possible for me to get to know people and establish new connections with them. Communication has become easier these days. Before, my mom used  to fuss over arranging international roaming services when we went abroad. Now, it's as easy as sending a text to our service provider, plus the rates have become cheaper too.

The paradox of technology is that it has made life easier and harder at the same time. I know I am being sentimental but somehow I miss the times when social networking sites were still nonexistent. Even if communication was harder then, friendships felt more personal and "real". My friends and I caught up with each other by going out more often or by calling each other over the phone. Now, I catch up with people usually just via IM, or worse, via status updates in FaceBook. I believe that it is easier to make connections now, but harder to establish "real" and lasting ones.

I don't know if it's an Asian thing to be sentimental of the past and to be skeptical of change but I definitely miss the days when my friends would write me a letter for my birthday instead of just posting on my FaceBook wall. For me those felt more personal and heartfelt compared to kind of social interaction we have today. In a world where efficiency is valued so much, sometimes we forget that behind the words displayed in our computer and cell phone screens are real people that still value intimacy and closeness. I wonder if the higher rates of depression in the US now is related to the failure of the internet and technology to establish genuine relationships.

I know that no matter how much I yearn for the memories of the past, social networking sites and other communication technologies are here to stay. Although we can't really do anything about it, it's important to take note of the changes that are happening to us because of technology. Technology is definitely changing the dynamics of social interaction. I believe that we should be aware of how it affects us so that we can take a proactive stance in using these technologies as opposed to just a blind consumption of it.

Personally, I have learned (or am learning) to take advantage of the benefits of technology and shun the negative ones. I use the information available in websites and web forums to help enhance the quality of my life and relationships. However, I consciously put a limit in the use of social networking sites and other "time wasters" so I can devote more of my time in bonding with my family and friends. I have realized that there is no substitute to personal relationships, family and community.