Comments on: Assignment #2 (2008)

By: AliK3

AliK3 — Thu, 15 May 2008 15:33:20 +0000

i feel that it does help relationships if we dont have technology but just a little bit of tech can be very good for us

By: chelseym3

chelseym3 — Mon, 12 May 2008 04:40:25 +0000

I personally take a stance in the middle of this debate, perhaps leaning towards more of the idea that technology impairs relationships. I believe that there is an appropriate time to pull out your Ipod or phone. As long as a person doesnt pull them out in certain situations then I think there is no problem with it….my number one pet peeve though is when a person is talking to a friend or whoever about something and the other is not even looking. Eye contact is important, it shows a person that you are listening and care about what they have to say and i think that technology can prohibit that at times. Also some people say that technology such as facebook and myspace enhance communication but I completely disagree with that idea. I am proud to say that I no longer have a myspace and never had a facebook, I personally belive that they are both jokes….for instance, my best friend has a face book and she sat there for like 20 minutes racing other animated “cars” and “poking” her other friends…..i mean are you for real?!! How old are we?? and can somebody please tell me the point of that! ALso I learned that having a myspace doesnt necessarily keep you in touch with old friends, most of the people are just acquaintances. If they were good enough friends to you then there would be other ways of communication and you wouldnt always be sending the same person “hey!! how have you been?? long time no talk! whats your number again? lets hang out” and a month later the same message. lammeeeee lol

By: JoeL3

JoeL3 — Mon, 12 May 2008 02:19:42 +0000

Simply put, I believe that technology hinders our relationships with others, but with a healthy balance can be used productively. It’s when we begin hiding entirely behind our technology (phones, internet, what have you) that our connections with others lose all depth and substance. I have found that meetings with others have been far more fulfilling and the conversation just as lively knowing that I won’t soon after shoot small talk through some sort tech. As for using phones and other devices productively, when used to get down to business (i.e. meeting up, asking something, etc.) they can still be used for a healthy means of setting yourself up to live your life.

By: JoeM2

JoeM2 — Fri, 09 May 2008 06:05:16 +0000

Does technology impair or support our relationships?

I think that a definition needs to be made clear. The first to kinds of technology that comes to my mind is ENTERTAINMENT technology like Television, Mp3’s, ect and then secondly their is COMMUNCATION technology like cell phones and Myspace.

So with that, I think that Entertainment technology without a doubt hurts our personal relationships with the people in our lives. Growing up, I was always in one room watching tv while my sister was in the other room playing computer games. This is pretty clear to me that it was hurting me and my sisters relationship. If neither of us had these easy sources of Entertainment we probably would have had to find ways to entertain each other. Another Idea that comes to my mind is when you see a good freind and you yell out their name from 3ft away. They dont respond and you then realize that they are blasting their earbuds to some music And you come out looking like the idiot that is yelling to no one.

Secondly their is Communication technology. This, I think really doesnt hurt us as much as we might think. Text messaging really, I dont think most people txt just to avoid verbal contact with one another. I know I only txt because it is easy and typically more efficient. But Txting to me is really not all that entertaining, It actually kind of a pain.
And Facebook, definatley a good source to keep up with old freinds.

So I think that their is good technology and bad technolgy. Entertainment technology can easily desensitize you to social communication and your relationships with the people that matter. Whereas Communcation technology, It might only desensitize you to a superficial level(fr:MeganR2). But I dont think that that superficial level will actually begin to effect you when you are in person with that person you were communicating with.

By: DonnyW2

DonnyW2 — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:34:04 +0000

i agree with a lot of people on this one apparently. on the one hand, it does take us away from our friends and family when we are doing things like watching TV or playing or playing that PS3 game you just bought for $60 and play it for one or two hours then never touch it again. but it can also bring people closer together. as we all know, facebook and myspace are excellent ways of helping us reconnect with old friends from middle school or that guy you met at the party last weekend. but i also think that this could be a double edged sword. for example, did you ever have a friend that you were REALLY good friends with and you hang out with them all day every day? then after youve been hanging out for a long time and that friend REALLY starts to get on your nerves and you stop hanging out as much. i think that this happens a lot more often than when you had to be face to face with a person to talk to them. now days, people are always texting and calling their friends every day and then going home and hoping on myspace to talk to them more. after a while that thing that made hanging outs with the person you dont get to see a lot is gone. there isnt that “oh im so glad to see you! i havent seen you in forever!”

and i also thought of this. it REALLY helps us plan our days. phones today can text, go on the web, be a walkie talkie, heck…even just being a mobile phone. if things come up, its super easy to get a hold of people.

By: MeganR2

MeganR2 — Thu, 08 May 2008 20:10:41 +0000

Technology like text messaging or email help maintain relationships but on a superficial level. My friends and I have always discussed how text messages can completely misconstrue an idea you might be trying to convey to another person because you aren’t actually speaking to this person IN PERSON. So, yes I would say that technology allows us to stay connected with people we might not be able to see every day and therefore need some practical form of communication by use of technology. However, just how connected do we really stay with this people when we communicate through technology? It’s impossible to expect that your always going to be able to or have the time to directly talk to a person, but I believe the key is finding a balance between direct and indirect communication. I think that if we did not have as advanced forms of communication our relationships with close family and close friends would improve yet on the downside how would we interact in person as frequently without technology with crazy/conflicting schedules?

By: colinm3

colinm3 — Thu, 08 May 2008 13:47:01 +0000

i think that i have called more people than ever before because i couldnt use text messaging. i think this tech turnoff is for the better because our constant longing to be entertained causes me at least to want to get out and do something. plus the emotions you can share with a person over the phone, although they are limited are musch much better than those that you can share through a test message

By: michaela7

michaela7 — Thu, 08 May 2008 03:58:12 +0000

for me technology really helps my relationships, i agree with facebooks boast because ive been able to reconnect with people i never see either because they dont have a smiler schedule or they dont live near me, also ive had some of the most quality time with my brother when we watch a season of futurama or play a video game together. from my experiences, people also tend to tell the truth more because they know the other person will have time to think about ti and cool down with out flying off the handle. i feel a lot closer to the people i talk to through technology

By: AmyJ3

AmyJ3 — Thu, 08 May 2008 03:40:55 +0000

I dont think that you can really say it helps or hurts relationships. it impacts them in both ways. I think that the technologies that we have allow us to communicate with so many more people therefore allowing us to have many relationships with a larger variety of people. Although it also allows us to be more distant, you dont have to personally call everyone you can just send out a mass text. Although those mass texts allow you to get a big group of your best friends together.
Technology also enables you to keep ties with friends that you live far from. I have a friend in Alsaka and im able to keep in touch with him via msn.
I love my technology although i really love not wathcing tv! Its really tempting after work to go camp out on the couch and eat a late dinner in front of the tv but i have started to read the paper instead.

By: DerekG3

DerekG3 — Thu, 08 May 2008 03:31:29 +0000

Some technologies i belive due impair our relationships but at the same time some help our relationships. In my case, my girlfriend lives really far away and i dont get to see her that much so we text each other whenever we get the chance. I dont get to see her that much during the week so we try to keep in touch as much as possible. But at the same time, texting can hurt your relationships. When your talking face to face with someone, you can get the point across much easier with more meaning. Through texting, its just a couple sentences or phrases that might not mean anything at all to the reader.