The Impact of Technology on Human Relationships

 

By Alisha Graetz

               The impact of technology on our relationships has a positive and negative effect. Relationships were challenging before technology, now they can be impossible without keeping our connections with one another balanced from the pressure we are under from technology.  The work and life balance has always been a juggling, now with so many work-from-home opportunities, the need for balance is enhanced. Technology isolates in the in-person experience, it influences our connection as individuals, the mental health of our generation is strained, and it affects how we connect to the world in a way that we could have never imagined before. The web of technology has entangled our daily lives and, like a snowball going downhill, we are being captivated by its influence, we will need to set boundaries to keep our identity.

               Technology being designed to affect our minds and emotions by dopamine, we fall easily into a path of isolation. From our remote jobs, the social media platforms for chatting, to the never-ending options for entertainment, there is never enough time in a day to shower and meet up with friends and family because time flew by quicker than we thought. Our relationship with our kids and partners feels the strain of the lack of in-person interaction as we are caught up in the web of technology, so many people we got to answer back and deadlines to meet and a few minutes of the game turned into hours and time got away.

The current generation desire a girl/boyfriend but can’t find time to leave their room playing games on the PlayStation etc. setting up for a relationship disaster. We carry our phones with us everywhere we never get a break, drawn to scrolling, gaming and chatting, teaching us to be a swallow invested generation. Kids being raised by “reels and shorts” causes a shorter attention span then any previous generation and the outburst of unlearned emotions is driving parents to the brinks of insanity. The technology addiction is overtaking humanity like no other addiction known to man. Creating serious mental challenges like depression and anxiety. The mental battles of lack of self-confidence and self-worth, magnify the battle when individuals never leave home to face those battles and overcome them. To top off the mental health challenges technology brings with VR, life isn’t good so living in a virtual world is better, one you create, design and control. Surrounded by toxins and radio waves days and hours without end, lack of fresh air, and human interaction, the influences of gaming and the workload causes the emotions to never be buffered and they become uncontrolled. The addiction needs balance but that’s what makes it an addiction, no balance.

There seems to always be two sides to a story, and the negatives of technology is no different, it also has a positive side. The connections we can now make are mind-blowing. Family and friend connections over the miles with chatting and options like face time have benefited so many from keeping grandparents and grandkids connected, to military relationships being able to stay connected to loved ones. Connections are valuable needs of relationships.  Work-related connections and job opportunities have increased for many and especially provided the confidence so many needed to pursue entrepreneurships. Blogging and vlogging, remote education and the IT world have benefited from technology evolving. Also, the healthcare system has seen a huge increase in how it can operate to help so many more lives today. Travel hasn’t always been an opportunity through the years for many people, and with technology now there is so much access to sights around the world and again making connections across the world interacting with influencers and people who share their daily lives. It gives insight into other cultures and ways of life we only could hear about in a book or by individuals that were capable of traveling. With technology today, it’s almost as if you can travel the world from your devices.

Theres a fine line when teetering on the line of balances, positives and negatives of any subject, the pros and cons, it will take intentional decisions to keep a balance. We can take all the positives and lean to that side to discover one day we didn’t build a life, in the same instance with the negative, we can lean that way and still come up short in the life we build. Prioritizing and living intentionally, taking time to make our loved one feel special and never taking for granted the human touch. A hug has so many benefits to our emotional and physical health and that’s something technology cannot give, a human touch. The drawbacks technology has is significant to keep in mind. Setting perimeters, to keep us from falling into a place we can’t return from, is important to keep our relationships alive and thriving. Once age has passed us by there’s no way of regaining it back. As advanced as technology is becoming, we cannot turn time back, spend it wisely.  There was never enough time in a day before technology and as it would help to save time as a positive influence, without balance it becomes a time stealer.

 paper written for English Comp 1