Technology and Its Effects on Society

Megan
11/29/12

Today we live in a world where we can hardly go a day without using some form of technology. One of the most used forms of technology is personal technologies. For most of us, personal technology is part of our daily lives and it certainly has its advantages and disadvantages. Personal technology, such as cell phones, laptops, and iPods have affected many parts of our lives. The most noticeable change in our lives from personal technology is its effect on personal relationships. This change can be seen in the lives of anyone who owns personal technology, especially among teenagers and young adults in the college community because this age group uses personal technology more than any other age group. In my opinion these effects can be both positive and negative depending on how a person uses personal technology. This essay will point out the major positive and negative effects that personal technology has on personal relationships in the college community. First, I would like to go over a negative effect of person technologies. The most negative effect is that they are a distraction. College is filled with opportunities to meet new people, but when students have their headphones in their ears, or they are constantly checking their phones, it sends a signal to other students that they do not want to be bothered. For many students, this is exactly what they want, something that will keep them in their own comfort zone. They do not realize that these personal technologies are distracting them from growing as a person. When texting on a cell phone or walking to class with headphones in, students may lose the chance to branch out and meet new friends. Even I have been a victim of this effect of technology. Many times I find myself replying to a text message from a friend and then ten minutes later I am on a social networking site. I let this distraction keep me from talking to the other students around me. I know many other students have faced this same problem, but by learning to discipline ourselves to only use a cell phone when we are alone or when there is an emergency this problem can easily be fixed. A positive effect of personal technologies is that they give students in the college community the resource to stay involved in the lives of their long distance friends. Today, cell phones are the most popular way people keep in touch. Texting and access to social networks through smart phones make it simple to keep up with the lives of friends. In my personal experience, personal technology has given me the opportunity to talk to my friends from high school on a regular basis. I talk to my closest friends once a week, if not more, by using my cell phone or my laptop. With a simple text I can check up on my best friend. She tells me everything that is going on in her life and I tell her what is new in my life, so when we see each other again it is almost as if we never moved apart. This technology is my resource for staying close to my friends even when I do not have the chance to see them every day. Overall, I think the effect personal technology has on personal relationships depends on how a person uses it. Personal technologies can be used as a good resource for communication or they can be a distraction from communicating face to face. A person should be able to judge when it is the right time to be using personal technologies, and when it is the right time to be conversing with others. Personal technologies are great for keeping in touch with friends, but it is up to us personally to keep these technologies from preventing us from building new relationships.