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Examples

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cheekukm04
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Examples

Technological advancements have had more negative impacts on human interaction and
relationships than positive ones.

Write a response in which you discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with the
statement and explain your reasoning for the position you take. In developing and supporting
your position, you should consider specific examples of how technological advancements
have affected human interaction and relationships.

The past 20 years has engendered more human connectivity than all previous millennia of our
species existence. With so much change in such a short period of time, determining whether
this phenomenon has been largely positive, or negative is difficult, if not impossible. The
prompt takes the negative stance and argues that technological advancements have resulted in
more harm than good. In my opinion, I mostly disagree with this view and believe that
technological progression has improved our connectivity and relationships for the following
reason, though I do concede that recent advancements have unfortunately decreased our need
for face-to-face connection.

First of all, technological advancement has resulted in more benefits for our interconnectivity
because, as a species, we are no longer constrained by distance. For example, a Japanese
exchange student studying in New York City can communicate with her mother in Tokyo
easily and effectively at no charge using an application like WhatsApp or Facebook. In the
past, this same student would have had no choice but to send a letter (which might arrive
three weeks later) or call long distance at an exorbitant rate of dollars per minute. The Earth
is massive, and even if one were travelling at the maximum speed of a commercial jetliner, it
would take nearly 24 hours to travel from end of the planet to the other. However, technology,
at least from a communication point of view, has created the reality in which all of Earth’s 8
billion inhabitants are effectively right next to each other, not constrained by distance in any
meaningful way. The advantages of this leap cannot be overstated, from the way we interact
with our families to the way we conduct business around the globe.

Second of all, the progression of our technology has allowed not just for the ability to sustain
our current relationships but also the capacity to form new ones and become part of distinct
communities. For example, an individual from a small town in America might be partial to
the roleplaying game Dungeons and Dragons and be able to cultivate this hobby by joining a
local league in a larger town that he discovered on the Internet. Thirty years ago, this
individual would have found it challenging to engage with this hobby and perhaps would
never have pursued it given the difficulty in location likeminded peers. Humans have an
inherent need to be part of a tribe, to be part of a group that share their interest and passions.
Technology makes this possible, particularly for those individuals with niche hobbies that are
not necessarily shared by those closest to them. Such freedom of expression has let to
millions of people to thriving in life and finding their true callings.

However, I do concede that technology has led to the unfortunate consequence of people no
longer feeling the need for face-to-face interaction. For example, especially after the Covid-
19 pandemic, millions of workers around the globe no longer deem it necessary to go to their
office and meet their co-workers on a personal level, Instead, they can simply use a video
conferencing app like Zoom or Google Meet. In addition, the phenomenon of “video dating”
is becoming increasingly popular, where a date is conducted entirely rather than at a coffee
shop or restaurant. As referenced above, humans are extremely social animals. We have an
instinctual need to be around other humans, Multiple studies have shown that if a human is
deprived of contact with other members of the species, a host of physical and mental
consequences result. Technology, in some ways, is undermining this evolutionary need, one
that has been with us for hundreds of thousands of years. It is possible that we can adjust to
the new paradigm, but it’s doubtful that this adjustment can occur at the same rate of
technological process. It is no surprise that we are seeing rising depression and anxiety levels
around the world, even as our standards of living improve.

In conclusion, while it is true that technological progress has eroded some of our
connectivity, particularly as it pertains to face-to-face interaction, the benefits of instant
communication unrestricted by distance and forming connections with likeminded people
clearly outweigh the cons.

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