Does technology make us more alone?

Name : DWI ARIF WIBOWO

SN       : 1420302158

Class   : E

Does technology make us more alone?

Nowadays you can see many people with their head down looking at their smartphone screen. Technology provides a new way for communication. By using social media such as facebook, twitter, and instagram we can connect with people all over the world. Technology has changed the way we communicate. Although by using technology allows us to connect to everyone we know and ones we do not, there is strong evidence that technology makes us more alone.

Opponents claim that technologies have made communication easier. Technology is making direct communication awkward. According to Cornell University's Steven Strogatz, “Social media sites can make it more difficult for us to distinguish between the meaningful relationships we foster in the real world and the numerous casual relationships formed through social media.”¹ Many people say that it is totally different when they chat in the social media from in the real life. Technology often makes misunderstandings. It is very usual when your friend did not understand your messages because social media limits your word. It is not easy if you will inform about bad news. Sometimes mistyping also will make a misunderstanding.

Opponents also claim better communication technologies mean better communication. However, the communication technologies need an internet connection. You cannot do anything with your social media if there is no internet connection. Better communication is about our skill to communicate. It will happen only when our communication skill improve. By using social media you will always distract with social media notifications. There are always notifications while you are studying, eating and also sleeping. It is really annoying, of course, we can set it into silent mode but the vibration also will disturb us.

The final argument advanced by opponents of the communication technologies is that technology especially social media has allowed people to communicate with people all over the world easily. If you have many friends on the internet then you never meet them, it is just fake friend. Face-to-face communication is nice. Not only you can see their face, but also their attitude, so you can decide they are good or not. Moreover, there are so many spams if you use social media. If you click it, then your account social media will post annoying thing automatically.

It should be evident that the arguments against the communication technologies make us more alone are not valid. Face to face communication is better because you can be easier to grasp the meaning of the conversation. The thing that you have to remember that communication needs emotions. Emotions are the way to know they are lying or not. There is a famous quote that technology brings us technology brings us closer to those who are far away, but far away from those who are close².

References

1. Jung, Brian. 2015  "The Negative Effect of Social Media on Society and Individuals"  smallbusiness.chron.com. 29 June 2016 <http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effect-social-media-society-individuals-27617.html>

2. OC, Sami.  2013  "Technology brings us closer to those who are far away, but far away from those who are close." reddit.com. 29 June 2016 <https://www.reddit.com/r/Showerthoughts/comments/2w34uf/technology/>