Technology and Social Life

Weak Relationships with Family
I interviewed one of my friends to establish how technology influences interpersonal relationships. Based on the interview, weak relationships with family are a significant concern of the intersection between technology and interpersonal interactions. My interviewee indicated that his increased internet use has led him to have poor relations with his parents and other elderly relatives. He noted that technology has reduced interpersonal interactions with most elderly family members.
When I asked how too much internet usage has affected his interpersonal relationship with his family, my interviewee mentioned that he hardly engages in face-to-face conversations with these family members. His communication with them is mostly through chats, voice calls, or video calls. My interviewee also noted that he barely spends time with them, even at home. Instead, he plays video games, watches movies, or chatting with his friends.
Increased Connectedness
My interviewee’s mention of chatting with friends led me to establish another theme around technology and interpersonal relationships: increased connectedness. When I asked how technology has impacted the way he interacts with people who are non-family members, my interviewee mentioned that technology has helped him make new friends, maintain friendships, and find numerous support networks. He gave me an example of a social media group that has helped him in his academic journey. He believes his academic performance would not have been as good as it is without the support network.
My interviewee also mentioned that technology has increased his communication with more people, exposing him to the outside world. He has managed to create relationships that can help him in the future through social media sites. Facebook and WhatsApp have helped create these social networks. Furthermore, he believes he would not interact as much as he would with his siblings and friends were it not for social media.
Inability to deal with Interpersonal Problems
My interviewee mentioned one downside to his technology use: it has increasingly become difficult for him to solve interpersonal problems. He claims his conflicts with his family have increased because he has forgotten how to interact with them. Since he mainly engages in virtual interactions, he no longer understands their personalities. Thus, his relationship with them has deteriorated because of constant disagreements.
He also has a challenge with intimate relationships because of social media influence. It has become difficult for him to maintain romantic relationships because he follows the advice on social media sites, which is usually misleading. He explained that he lost three girlfriends this year due to false advice from social media friends. He maintained that he intends to minimize his technology use in the future for better interpersonal relationships.
Part 2 – Annotated Bibliography
Agarwal, Mahima, and K. Ramachandran. “Influence of Internet Addiction on Interpersonal Relationships among College Students.” Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research, vol. 9, no. 3, 2022, pp. 38–41.
There is a high level of internet dependency among college-going students. This population spends most of their time on the internet, a habit that has affected how they interact with others. This article provides proof of this impact on this group of young people. The researchers aimed to determine how internet addiction affects interpersonal communications among college students.
Based on the findings, increased technological use leads to decreased interpersonal interactions. The article emphasizes the importance of interpersonal relationships and highlights the negative influences of internet addiction. The information is helpful for my research because it reveals the downside of over-dependence on technology. College students should find the article enjoyable and educational.
Li, Chao, et al. “Does the Internet Bring People Closer Together or Further Apart? The Impact of Internet Usage on Interpersonal Communications.” Behavioral Sciences, vol. 12, no. 11 2022, pp. 1–24.
The article establishes whether internet usage affects interpersonal communications. The researchers utilize a micro data set from China to determine if human interactions have improved or worsened due to technology use. Based on the results, technology use positively influences interpersonal relationships. The article holds that internet usage positively affects interpersonal relationships by increasing communications, leading to increased connectedness.
Society is still uncertain of the impact of technology on interpersonal relationships. The information in the article will help clarify this issue by explaining how technology use affects people. One can use the research to determine whether there is a need to increase internet usage for better interpersonal communications. Further, the article examines factors that influence human interactions from a technological perspective, making it useful for my research.
Mercan, Nese, and Burhanettin Uysal. “The Relationship of Social Media Addiction with Interpersonal Problem-Solving and Personality Traits in University Students.” Archives of Psychiatric Nursing, vol. 43, 2023, pp. 50-56.
The article explains the impact of social media addiction on personalities and how young people deal with interpersonal problems. By observing a sample of students, the researchers determined how social media has influenced this population to approach issues arising from interpersonal relationships. According to the findings, people addicted to social media have a negative approach to problems. These individuals do not take responsibility for their actions and have no self-confidence.
The article is helpful to my research because it explains how over-dependence on social media affects the ability to deal with issues arising from day-to-day interactions, which, in turn, deteriorates interpersonal relationships. The information will help me better understand how social media addiction can affect people’s characters and how it influences individuals to act as they do. The article will also help me gain insight into the negative impacts of social media addiction on human interactions.