The Internet has had a tremendous affect on how we communicate, possibly the greatest change that has been taken in the past few decades. No longer do we have to spend time using a phone or meeting somewhere, instead we can talk to each other electronically. With the simple click of the mouse, we can send emails around the world quicker than you can say “email”. While emails are indeed a popular form of communication, instant and text messaging have taken over how we communicate with each other. Right on the phone, companies have developed a way for us to talk to other people without actually talking into the phone. Want to get some people together for a movie without having to deal with the hassle of calling all of them individually? Just send a single text message to multiple friends and it can be done in less than a few minutes. I believe that this advancement in technology has been good for society.
Websites, such as Facebook and Myspace are able to make long distance communication very simple. People are able to share photos and journal entries with all their friends instead of having to do it individually. There are message boards that bring together people with similar interests, while others can bring together people with certain problems that can offer help to them. Long lost friends have been found on websites like these and along with that, new friendships have also been made. In the case of Internet dating websites, the bond of marriage was created. Sure, these form of communication may not be as mutual as one on one conversations, the fact still remains that many positive things result from this type of communication. If I wanted to, I could easily call my friends to talk with them, but why should I when I could multitask by talking to them with relative ease on the Internet.
Erin Hogan | 01-Dec-06 at 3:17 pm | Permalink
You mention that instead of calling people anymore, we can just email them…which is often much faster and more efficient. However, I think that it’s also sort of funny that the internet also makes it so that we can call people. In lecture the other day Dan mentioned VOIPS, like Skype. I use Skype and it’s through the internet that I’m allowed to call people at a cheaper rate than if I were to use my normal phone. So even though the internet does make it so that we never have to actually talk to people if we don’t want to, it also enables us to call people even more because the cost is less. I think that this says a lot about how much humans value one-on-one verbal conversations. We obviously still need that kind of communication, and even internet companies are aware of that.
Nicholas Marino | 03-Dec-06 at 10:14 pm | Permalink
I agree with Dreyfus in that face to face communication is absolutely necessary and internet communication can never replace that. But the internet plus some face to face interaction I believe greatly enhances everything. I too like to send out multiple messages with texting. Sometimes only a couple of words need to be said and a text makes that a lot easier and a whole lot less awkward and inconveient than a phone call. The multitasking portion that the internet provides everyone with is what I think makes its communication abilities almost as valuable as actual verbal convos.
Kristina Hughes | 04-Dec-06 at 12:48 am | Permalink
I mean of course, we all love the ease of e communication; it’s faster, easier, cheaper, etc. I think it’s interesting though to ask ourselves why we think this type of communication is better for our minds. We live in the age of technology; we are surrounded by a race to advance technology as fast and efficient as possible; this technology is of main importance to much of our society. During the time when Thoreau and Emerson were leaders in our society, it was simplicity and nature that was valued most highly. WAs this because the technological advancements we have today didn’t exist, or does this say something about what we maybe missing as we become caught up in the world of technology?
Daniel Worst | 04-Dec-06 at 10:58 am | Permalink
I would agree with Ken on this topic. The Internet does make it easier to communicate with people. Back in the early 1900’s, it was very hard to have a long distance relationship. If one of your friends moved away you most likely wouldn’t talk to them for many years, but today, you can keep relationships with people no matter where they live. It is easier to keep true friends of yours thanks to the internet.
Patrick Morrissey | 04-Dec-06 at 4:47 pm | Permalink
The technology that we posses is great, and it provides people with numerous ways to communicate. Yes, it is relatively cheap and it is very fast and efficient. However is there any loss when people use the quickest and most efficient way to communicate? By not taking time to actually talk to a person via a phone compromise the meaning of the message. A phone call either by cell phone or land line is also technology, but I feel that it allows better connection between people.
Greg Frazier | 04-Dec-06 at 5:04 pm | Permalink
I think it might be somewhat important to point out that text messaging and emailing are not equivalent to spoken language. Similarly, a phone call is no equivalent to person-to-person communication. WIth each progressive step to being less personal with communcation, it loses the certain aspects that make person-to-person communication efficient.
Most of this thread talks about how efficient and fast and easy this new technology is, but is it really? A spoken conversation that may take 30 seconds could take well over 5 minutes via texting. This is because the communication is not immediate. You have to receive the message, read it, type in your response, then send it. None of this is immediate, wheras spoken language is. Also, no verbal communication cannot easily convey verbal meanings. Try using a text to easily convey sarcasm or a sad tone of voice.
Adam Warren | 04-Dec-06 at 7:12 pm | Permalink
I agree with Greg on this point. I, personally, do not currently or plan to ever use text messaging via cellphone. Talking to people voice to voice is never awkward or inconvenient to me. I enjoy it very much. The voices of my friends and family are always comforting. I realize that this is still not human to human conversation, but I feel that the jump to texting on a phone that can just as easily make the call to the person is far further from real communication than the voice to voice communication that one gets from that same phone. Still, I have no problem with people who do enjoy texting. Technology like this seems to be a reflection of the laziness of the person using it. So, to each his/her own, because it is all personal discretion.
Jeffrey Seredynski | 04-Dec-06 at 11:22 pm | Permalink
I tend to agree with Adam and Greg here. I also don’t text people very often because I feel that talking to them is a better way to communicate. Since you are already communicating with someone at a distance, I feel that talking to them to hear the person’s voice makes the conversation more personal and friendly; sending texts is very impersonal and doesn’t seem as friendly as a quick call to actually tell someone what you are thinking. I also agree with Greg’s point on how texting can actually take more time than just calling the person up to tell then what’s on your mind and to display different human emotions.
Charlotte Miles | 05-Dec-06 at 12:27 pm | Permalink
The way I think about electronic, both telephone and online, communication is that it is like taking the distance between point A and point B, the shortest being a line between them (like talking in person), and just “pulling the two points” together (as if they were a piece of string) so they are attached. Think about talking online, such as AIM, you are cutting out the physical distance (being the line of string) and having instant communication. This metaphor is used in the idea of space and time travel, but it is completely relevant in ‘space’ travel. It is not physical bodies transcending space, but our thoughts, voices, and feelings. You can cry on the phone to someone and they can help you feel better. Maybe hugging someone while comforting them is more helpful, but I would rather talk to someone through any means of instant communication then not talk to anyone at all.
Brian Craig | 05-Dec-06 at 1:59 pm | Permalink
With this topic, I’d like to go back to what Kristina and a few others were talking about. With today’s society, we seem to be all about being faster and more efficient. People have become so obsessed with all the different ways of technology that let them communicate whenever, wherever, and multi-task while we do it, I feel that not only are people losing the personal relationshp touch with each other, but also with ourselves. Like Kristina said, in the days of Emerson, people valued taking time alone with oneself and nature to reflect. Now, people can hardly walk 5 minutes home from class without feeling the need to call someone or text message to keep them busy. Though we’re communicating more, are we really saying, learning, or feeling more? Or are we just filling up the silences in which we used to take time to reflect?
Greg Frazier | 05-Dec-06 at 5:59 pm | Permalink
Wow. Brian, I really like those questions. I think you are right to imply that people are merely fill in the void of self-reflection with technology. In some ways, I feel as if this would lead to people becoming more robotic in the way that they would stop forming their own opinions, and merely just recommunicate those that they have heard others say.
Daniel Fahey | 06-Dec-06 at 4:25 pm | Permalink
I agree completely with both comments above. People who walk around campus on their cellphones or text message their friends all throughout class infuriate me. People most definitely are using technology because it is there. They aren’t achieving any end. I had work this morning at 8 am and I saw a girl on the phone to someone having an animated conversation. First of all, why would you talk on the phone when you could keep your hands warm in your pockets? and second of all, who is awake and chipper and ready to listen to you at 8 am? Cellphones were not meant to be used constantly (cause automobile accidents), they were meant to be make communication easier. Also, no one wants to hear your personal adventures of the night before as they walk along behind you. I also find that amazing, cellphones have pretty much aided people in throwing all privacy and inhibitions to the wind. People will talk about anything on their cellphone right on the street for all to hear. I have gotten a bit off the topic and will make another comment.
Daniel Fahey | 06-Dec-06 at 4:30 pm | Permalink
In response to the thoughts about texting in the post above: I’ve never seen texting as a way of saving time. I’ve always seen it as more of a way to avoid people. For example, let’s say someone you really don’t want to see calls you up one night. You can just text them back “i’m busy” and they’ll leave you alone. If you call them back then you’ll have to come up with an excuse that won’t offend them. But if you think about it, how much time will actually be saved? Let’s say you send out the group text message. The people you sent it to will probably text or call each other asking if they got the message. You’ll probably get many texts back asking for details and who else you sent it to. The total time saved for you is significant if you had planned on calling each person individually, but who does that? You’d most likely put into use a phone tree that would save time for everyone. The total time saved would not be significant if you ask me, unless your friends idolize you, never ask questions, and follow orders no matter what.
Lindsey Schwartz | 06-Dec-06 at 7:37 pm | Permalink
I agree that facebook and myspace do make it easy for us to communicate and stay in touch with people we hardly ever get to see. And texting can be an easy and quick way to talk to friends when you don’t have time for an actual converstaion. However, I can’t help but to think that something is lost when we rely on text messages and facebook messages to keep up with eachother. I disagree that it’s a good way to stay in touch with true friends, simply because it is so much easier than calling someone. Also, I think that this type of communication is really impersonal. So even though I do use texts and facebook, I don’t really see it as a replacement for actual phone conversations.
Kyle Padera | 06-Dec-06 at 10:35 pm | Permalink
Technology definately makes out lives easier. I just commented saying that it has definatley made our lives better than worse (obviously). But I think it is necessary to indulge into the fact that technology might be the catalyst for making everyone in such a rush. The world since say the early 20th century has gone and got itself in such a damn hurry and I think this is due in part to technology. This day in age we are always talking and calling and texting and what not, an 60 years ago they were doing none of this. This is just an ancillary effect of technology in society though, and I think it will only get worse if people become so dependant.
stephanie hernandez | 06-Dec-06 at 11:59 pm | Permalink
I agree with you. The internet offers so much. so many means of communication that one wonders if it is even necessary to ever go vistin someonme or so forth. I do belive though that in a way, seeing someone say through myspace or IMing them looses the essences behind a person.
William Lee | 07-Dec-06 at 2:01 pm | Permalink
I agree with the notion that the internet has provided a extremely easy and convenient medium for communication. It provides a simple and quick way of getting short simple messages across. However, I do believe that it still cannot and will probably never be able to rival the nature of a phone call or face to face conversation. Obviously, its easy to claim that and one can see why, but I feel that as long as their is the difference there, personal communication will still be the way to go. There is something about being able to hear the voice or see the face that adds so much to hearing information.
Rickin Shah | 07-Dec-06 at 6:41 pm | Permalink
I think the internet is valuble resrouce to talk and communicate. I enjoy the argument that Dreyfus makes about the importance of face to face contact but i think there are plenty of technological examples that argue face to face contact is a waste of time and inefficient. I think Kyle said it well when he says technology is without a doubt
the catalyst for the faster paced lives that our society lives in. It’s funny to think that technology/interent/wireless created this type of pace and now we wouldn’t be able to move foreward without it.In some ways I’m okay with the idea of less personable relationships in the interest of moving forward…its an intriguing yet controversal idea.
Miguel Guzman | 07-Dec-06 at 7:06 pm | Permalink
I think that the internet is something that we have learned to depend on. I think us as human beings are getting to lazy so we are depending on technology for everything. Instead of actually picking up the phone and dialing and talking to the person we rather just message them and she what they are up to. Also we are so lazy that we rather do everything while sitting on our butts in front of a computer.
Jeff Chwa | 07-Dec-06 at 8:16 pm | Permalink
The internet is definitely making the world go at a faster pace. Many tedious daily tasks can be accomplished at the click of a finger. For example, holiday shopping is something that can be done in the comfort of one’s warm home. No more enduring the harsh weather, no parking, and crazy shoppers. I like how google has the customizable homepage and macs have widgets. These I feel like I have everything I need to know in a second. This is a perfect example in how technology is making everything just faster. Get in and get out.
Kenneth Sullivan | 07-Dec-06 at 11:38 pm | Permalink
As much as I embrace this new world of one-click holiday shopping and customizable homepages, a part of me misses the old ways of the world. People used to just hang out with each other, sip juice, and enjoy good conversations and each others company. Now it seems that whenever you are in the presence of others, there is usually a television on and that is the main focus of the room. In my fraternity one thing we excel at is hanging out with each other. Be it playing Mario Kart or watching tv, we at least do it together. But there are guys who cannot make it through a whole movie because they have something else to do. Obviously there is no way to revert back to the old world, but it is always great to enjoy a good conversation with some friends without technological distractions.