Technology replaces interaction
Internet bad substitute for face-to-face communication
By Julie Lozinski
Posted: 11/15/04, 1:39 AM EST Section: Opinion
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When we were younger, we darted over our friends' houses when we wanted to see them. Now we're grown and personal visits are a thing of the past. House visits have taken the back seat to AIM, and text messaging has replaced phone calls.
With the communication technology increasing exponentially, one would think it would be easier to communicate. It seems as though the reverse is true, however.
"I actually had a teacher ask me this year if I had been talking too much on e-mail and IMs," said Sean Fine, a junior television, radio and film major. "She thought my level of writing had gone down."
Many students are drawn to the new wave of communication because of instant gratification. Cell phones make it so you can contact anyone anywhere, and text messaging makes them even more accessible, as evidenced by the covert trading of texts so often seen in lectures.
Though well suited for a busy lifestyle, there is no substitute for seeing someone in the flesh. Oftentimes, students have a life-altering moment and instead of turning to friends, they turn to a computer screen.
"IM cuts back on the personal aspect because you don't have the voice and face in front of you," said James Biddle, a professor of television, radio and film.
Many times people use AIM as a way to avoid confrontation. The popular trend of saying something, then immediately putting up an away message may be convenient, but is also dangerous. It is easy for messages to get misconstrued online. Often you have to play psychic, deciding how someone is saying something. Misunderstandings happen constantly.
"IM is so annoying if you're trying to have a real talk," said Samantha McKee, a sophomore marketing major. "I once got into this huge fight with someone because he was joking about something and I thought he was serious. It was on IM, how was I supposed to know?"
While technology has its merits, it shouldn't be the last word. In a world where relationships are forged and finalized on a laptop, it's time we step back and put our life into perspective. Will we remember the text messages we get, or actual interactions? Emoticons are sad substitutes for smiles, and it's silly to put so much stock in them. The way we relate to one another transcends these artificial boundaries.
"Technology's great, it doesn't make students stupid," Biddle said. "It's the people that allow that to happen.
JULIE LOZINSKI IS A SENIOR ENGLISH AND TEXTUAL STUDIES AND PSYCHOLOGY MAJOR. YOU CAN E-MAIL HER AT JELOZINS@SYR.EDU.
