Technology and Human Interaction

The effects of technology are becoming an increasing concern on the attitude and actions of humanity. The lack of touch and face to face interaction is crippling the minds of adults and children alike. Touch is valuable in that it is needed in order to grow and thrive. One question that you may be asking yourself is, "How exactly is society being affected by technology and what is happening to human interaction?" Please let me answer this for you.

Our world is becoming a very "touch phobic" society in a way that no one could have ever expected or even imagined. There are automated bank machines instead of seeing a teller so you can just do your banking yourself and we can also use our smartphones through the apps, online shopping rather than going to the store, e-mail and chat sites that can be used without ever seeing the person on the other end. Those are just some, the list could go on and on. Groceries get delivered now, you just order online or through an app on your phone and then someone from the store delivers them to you or you pick them up yourself. Carmen Jochmann says in her article, The Benefits of Human Touch: The Need for Human Touch in the Development of Healthy Adults and Children, "In today's world technology has reduced the amount of physical contact that people have with each other on a daily basis" (par. 3). Although there are still a few people that do not fall to the conformity of technology, the majority still do. Almost every person I know is on Facebook, texting on a cell phone, on FaceTime with someone, or playing video games. What happened to having a life without all the technological advancements? In his article, "Technology Can't Replace Real Human Interactions" Brett Stephenson says, "Clubs have now been established throughout the country to get kids out to play. This is astounding since in previous generations it was near impossible for children to stay inside their homes" (par. 8). It is easier and quicker to use the Internet to connect with friends and family or to meet people on chat sites and dating sites. One problem with meeting new people online is that you never know what kind of person you are going to be talking to, it could be anyone. To compare society now to 15 years ago, it is noticeable that the differences in the amount of technology that is used is significantly higher. Human interaction is a big thing that we need in our lives, those of us that use technology on a daily basis don't get all the contact that is needed. A person gets so much joy out of meeting someone new and having people know who you are without them having to figure out the kind of person that you are through the computer or a machine. So many children nowadays are all about video games. Yes, I can say that I am a mom guilty of her child playing video games constantly online with her friends. Especially more so now during these COVID times when playdates are not allowed.

The first thing that is needed is contact, attention and interaction from others. With this a person can feel wanted and loved. As Carmen Jochmann explains in her article, "Touch is vital to the positive health and development of all human beings, regardless of age. Humans need to touch and to be touched" (15). By using technology it is depriving each person, using mainly the Internet, on a daily basis of not having the ability to figure out who they are as a person. Without this I don't think that we would really be able to know a person and what that person is feeling. It is one of the ways that we have to communicate with each other without having to use words. Secondly, you need that control over yourself and others. By meeting someone online it is difficult to actually tell who the person on the other end really is. They could be someone really great or a serial killer/stalker that just wants to get information out of you that could potentially harm you, your family and your friends. You don't have that control needed to decide if that person is harmless or not. When you meet someone in person it is easier to decide whether or not they are good or bad. This can be decided from the experience that you have with them in a social setting. Jean Watson says, ". . . one learns about oneself and others from the experience from one's physical, social, behavioural, and emotional day-to-day environment and relationships" (181) in her book, The Philosophy and Sciences of Caring. Thirdly, there are emotional relationships that you need with others. By going online to chat rooms or dating sites to meet someone you could get emotionally attached to someone that isn't who they say they are. This is the matter of being catfished. There would be disappointment and frustration in not being able to find that special someone. I will be honest though, even I went online once years ago before I met my husband to see what a dating site would be like and all you get are these creeps (for the most part, not all) that just want to meet you for a simple hook-up or to rob you of any valuable things that you may have in your home. There are disgusting and completely R-rated messages that are sent to your inbox on these sites that you definitely do not want to be repeated anywhere. Especially not in public. I would not even write it in here for any of you to read. I was disgusted in myself when I even tried one out, but it's all life's little experiences that make a person who they are. I kept asking myself, "What the heck was I thinking?" This can be answered in 4 simple words "To meet someone new." That was all that was going through my mind. Jon Kleinberg states, ". . . sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, MySpace, Wikipedia, digg, del.icio.us, YouTube, and flickr - there is a broader process at work, a growing pattern of movement through others, build virtual communities, and engage in self-expression" (par. 1) in his article "The Convergence of Social and Technological Networks". We all know what Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, Flickr and Wikipedia are, but what are the 3 others mentioned above. LinkedIn is a site where you can exchange information with other businesses about your industry, business and goals for your company. Digg is a social site where latest news from around the world can be found. Finally, del.icio.us is a social book marking site to find resources online. These are just some of the few networking sites that can be found online. All these networking and social chat sites are taking away from the human interaction that is needed for all of us. Don't forget that now we have Instagram, Twitter, SnapChat, Pinterest, and TikTok as more ways for society to stay connected without actually meeting up in person. Most people would rather not have that human contact because they are more comfortable in their own homes by themselves.

Human interaction through social media is not real human interaction. It's a place where a fantasy world could be made up and a person can pretend to be someone they are not. In Andrew Wood's book, Online Communication: Linking Technology, Identity, & Culture, he is explaining how through social networking sites human behaviours can be altered and manipulated to reflect what that person would like to be. A profile can be created to be whoever the person creating it would like to be. They could be a great scholar or an IVY league student, anything the mind is set to be. He says, "An identity is a complex personal and social construct, consisting in part of who we think ourselves to be, how we wish others to perceive us, and how they actually perceive us" (52), which is called self-presentation. Wood also mentions that people record their thoughts and day-to-day feelings on blogs, an example of this is Facebook. Millions of people log on every day to share their feelings and daily activities with every person in the world. This is another way to have human interaction and involving everyone that you may or may not know. Jon Kleinberg says in his article, "The past decade has witnessed a coming-together of the technological networks that connect computers on the Internet and the social networks that have linked humans for millennia" (66). This is the easiest and quickest way to have any human interaction. A person can meet millions of other people in just a couple minutes. Out in public you can meet maybe 1 or 2 people within a couple minutes, dependent upon the type of person that you are. It may take longer for someone not as confident as the other person, but eventually you will meet someone.

Technology, especially the Internet, is very valuable in our society but only to a certain extent. The Internet is also a very useful way to get information very quickly, while other pieces of technology also help make everything easier and quicker. What needs to be done is that every individual needs to go out, have the interaction with others that is needed and enjoy themselves. Encourage your children to get out of the house and go play outside with their siblings. I know in these COVID times it is hard to have play dates for our kids, but you can still take them out for walks. You, as an individual need to close down your account on whichever dating site you are on and go out to meet that special someone in person when you are out for a walk or at the grocery store. When COVID is over or whenever these restrictions are loosened a little, invite your friends over for some drinks if you need someone for comfort. Any Facebook users should take a couple days, a week or more away from the computer. Forget about it for a bit and do something that doesn't require any technology at all. Go for a walk or read a book. The fresh air will do you some good.