Has technology killed communication?

Hello everyone, today's post will be dedicated to a presentation I had to deliver about a week ago for my Critical Studies module.

Has technology killed communication? In a world flooded by smart devices, have we lost the ability to talk to each other? Or is it just a phase in the evolution of our society?

It all started when I watched the video for Stromae's new single Carmen.

Stromae - Carmen

Its message is clear 'Don't let social media control your life'. After watching the video it left me thinking 'Has is grown to that extent?' and 'How far will it grow?'

Videos like 'Look up' by Gary Turk and 'IDIOTS' by Big Lazy Robot appear on our news feed from time to time to remind us what our society is turning into. They tell us to switch off from technology, to stop experiencing life behind a screen and to stay away from the social media giant. But is it really that bad?

Look Up - video

IDIOTS - video

To help me find an answer to this debate, I simplified some of the issues with technology into three different sections: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.

The Good: Digital media connects people! That's why they were created on the first place! They give people freedom to express themselves. It makes possible to talk with someone across the world, it even allows us to meet new people. We have never been so close to each other. Why should we reject it then?

The Bad: All the content available to use can become overwhelming and at times we become too busy updating our online presence that we forget our surroundings. Sharing part of yourself and finding out that other people likes it can lead to vanity and turn you into someone you are not.

The Ugly: Being able to express your opinion freely means that any opinion is valid and hateful content can damage one's self esteem. And then there;s those who's online profile is so acclaimed that they become attention seekers. And worst of all, social technology takes away our privacy.

The reason we get involved with socializing online is to share part of our lives with those who are close to us. It is a fact that most people we interact with are our real life friends and family. It makes sense that in a world moved by technology, our communication with each other will be influenced by it.

Does that mean we will become alone someday?

Online friends can't hurt your feeling whereas real life ones will. By losing that attachment to people we could become shallow and cold. But then again, we are sociable beings. We need to be in contact with people, it's what makes us human.

In conclusion, the way we communicate with each other is changing, it has changed throughout history and it will continue to change. So, has technology killed communication? No, in fact, it has increased so much that from time to time it's good to switch off all devices and stop talking.

Thank you for reading!