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.