Technology has changed our lives in many ways. It has sped up our work. It has sped up our learning. Also, it has sped up our travel. But also, and most importantly, it has changed how we relate to each other. Today, we connect to others, we share, we communicate, and we meet through screens.
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Communication Has Become Faster
Today, we can send a message from one end of the planet to another in an instant. We can video call family members whenever we want. We can keep relationships with friends we do not often see through social media. Technology connects people in spite of physical distance.
Before technology, people wrote letters. When they wrote a letter and sent it, they would wait at least a week for a letter back. Today, we communicate instantaneously. Technology’s impact has been to speed up and streamline communication.
But Something Just Doesn’t Seem to Be Right
Although we communicate more than ever, we feel alone, and less connected than ever. A voice note? Nice to have, but will never take the place of a hug.
We are connecting with people, and then go back to connecting with people! Holo-We do not look at one another anymore. We don’t listen to one another. The technology connects what each of us are saying to one another, but takes just a little of our heart every time.
Social Media Creates Illusions
Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook only show happy moments. People post smiles and family holidays, presents, and good times, but hide their pain, sadness, and fear. As a result, people must pick which version is the one closest to reality, or craft a false reality of their own.
What happens when others see these posts? They feel guilty and behind. They compare. “Why is my life not this perfect?” they wonder. The result is generally jealousy, stress, and sadness, which don’t represent the entirety of anyone’s life. The more we portray happiness, the more isolated, detached, and alone we feel.
Psychology: Better Connection with Real Talks
Psychologists agree that real conversations generate meaningful connections. One-on-one, body language, verbal tone, and warmth are communicated through traditional conversations. They encourage trust growth.
Conversing through a text messenger is quick, but it lacks emotional context. This, too, leads to misunderstanding. Our brains are not wired for understanding and processing the written word in digital format against the same emotional signal as face-to-face conversation. Therefore, we tend to type more yet feel less understood by the other person through the screen.
Family Time Has Changed
Family dinners used to consist of communicating through conversation during the meal. Today, the meal is still happening, but screens fill that time. Work emails are checked by parents. Children are browsing their social media accounts. The issue is that we rarely communicate, even in small talk.
This gap in real interaction grows ever so slowly. But eventually, as the years go by, it creates distance. Family members begin to feel like they can live without one another. It is the presence itself that generates and fosters love, not merely texting one another.
Friendships Are Different
Friendships primarily start online today. People meet through apps or video games. This provides people with new opportunities. It allows shy people to connect with people easily. It helps long-distance friendships thrive.
However, many of these friendships are surface-level. Likes and shares are not real acts of support. Real friendships take time, trust, and effort. Technology should initiate the connection and not replace it.
Arguments Grow Online
A lot of resolved conflicts happen online. People can say things online that they wouldn’t say in real life. Text shrinks the tone. Jokes often turn into insults.
People can block and ignore each other instead of resolving conflicts. This causes disagreements to develop. Healthy relationships need meaningful conversations, not just responses.
Psychology: Digital Overload Affecting the Brain
The brain is capable of processing only so much at the same time. Distractions from messages and notifications stress the brain too much. When the brain continuously processes too much information online, the person feels tired. This mental fatigue causes moodiness and stress, which inhibits the capability to process and focus mentally with real humans. The brain wants peace, but it is constantly pulled toward technology.
Children Are Growing Up with Screens
Children today are playing games on tablets. They are watching videos instead of playing outside. They talk to friends through messages, not face-to-face.
This affects children’s learning. It also affects how they build relationships. Parents need to help. Parents are responsible for helping their to learn to speak, listen, and care.
Support is vital in Times of Self-doubt
Technology can also fill a very dark space. People will find social support groups. Other people with the same pain. It helps relieve the feelings of isolation in the world.
In some instances, for some people, it is easier to communicate with strangers than family. These instances fed the rationale as to why some digital support for some people was, in fact, a lifeline. Life may depend on it.
Finding the Balance
Technology is not bad. It is neutral. It is a tool, and it is up to us to use the tool properly. Also, it is a tool that can be used for good or bad. Balance is the answer.
Limit the screen time talk without visuals, such as phones or screens. Eat a meal without phones. Walk with a loved one without turning back to the sky to stress. Look in their beautiful eyes. Put your hand on their heart, not a text.
Create Limits Around Devices
Put down the phones when it’s family time. Make decisions around the hours of screen time. Don’t check your phone first thing in the morning.
Instead, try talking to someone. Reading something serene. Stretching. Little habits like these help keep the brain calm and help the heart feel connected to others.
But Technology Can Be Healing Too
This is what we need – the poor aspects. Today, people attend therapy through a computer screen. People discover aspects of mental health through video and information. People use apps to meditate and take a breath.
Technology can help us with a strong mind. It can teach us empathy. It can help us grow.
Final Thoughts
Technology will be in our world, but let it not be part of our lives.
Psychology has taught us that human connections need presence, emotion, and time. Relationships require that all parties put in work, not just a chain of messages in a moment.
