As human beings, we have many needs. Food, shelter, comfort, and safety. Another important need is that of an emotional connection. We have evolved as a species to want someone to be connected with. A parent with their children, siblings with each other, romantic partners in a relationship, or a group of best friends. All of these are examples of different relationships that make up our lives.
Each relationship has a different depth and meaning to it. Some people have strength in one and distance in the other, this is just how the world works. In the modern digital age, technology has intertwined itself into almost all areas of our lives. Learning, communicating, research, business, entertainment, and many others.
One area that often flies under the radar is our relationships with each other. Thanks to the internet, our relationships with other people have also evolved. This article will delve into this and expound on how we are now more connected than ever before.
Positive Effects of Technology on Relationships
The internet is directly responsible for positively impacting our relationships with each other. It does so in a variety of different ways. The most important are listed below:
Increased Accessibility
With the internet, accessibility to people has been completely turned on its head. It has never been easier for us to meet new people and blend in with our friends from all areas of life using social media. Thanks to different types of apps, we can meet new people and learn more about them before we meet.
Using instant messaging and video calling, we can maintain long-distance relationships with each other. Your sibling, parent, friend, or partner living in another part of the world can remain in touch regardless of geographical distance.
Convenience of Communication
Among the many conveniences that the internet offers, the convenience of communication is one of the most important. We can start and maintain real-time communication, personal or professional. With a slew of communication tools, we can have multiple channels of communication.
This allows us to separate personal life and work or other hobbies. Moreover, all of this is available on our phones, tablets, computers, and even on wearable tech. Since it is on the internet, we are connected globally meaning one single WhatsApp group can have someone from every country on earth – each getting a message at the same time.
Long Distance Relationships
One of the most difficult times in life is being away from family, friends, and people you hold dear. There are times when the distance becomes unavoidable and you need to work with it. Thanks to the internet, geographic distance becomes non-existent. On your phone, one application allows you to chat with someone, video call them, send voice notes, get pictures and videos, and generally stay in touch.
This makes the distance manageable and helps us cope with being away from those we hold dear. Using high-speed internet from AT&T makes all of this incredibly simple thanks to their world-class internet that you can avail of starting immediately!
Opportunities to Connect With Like-Minded Individuals
The rise of social media, forums and online communities has led to a renaissance in the world of relationships. In one digital space, different people with a shared interest can congregate from all over the world. Thanks to the internet, these communities have flourished and given like-minded people a sense of family and community.
Your interests can range from games to sports to politics or even cooking – there is a community for it. Social media has played a massive role in the growth of these communities, giving users the ability to create groups to post questions, have discussions, share pictures and videos, and much more.
Negative Effects of Technology on Relationships
Naturally, among the many benefits of the internet, there are drawbacks. The internet has had a negative impact on our relationships with one another. Being able to communicate from anywhere and at any time has removed the need for us to have face-to-face interactions.
There are few joys that are the same as sitting with a friend, sibling, or partner and looking into their eyes or watching them speak. Moreover, when using our devices to communicate, we are naturally inclined to use them for other things. This is like a rabbit hole that can almost immediately consume a few hours of our time.
When communicating via messages, it is often difficult to interpret someone’s tone. When friends are sitting with each other, there is a certain amount of leg-pulling involved. At times, the inside jokes have context and history that only the participants understand.
When face-to-face, we can interpret when someone is joking or not. Using text messages, it is difficult to know what the other person means. This can instantly take something said in one context and have it misinterpreted into something else.
Social Media and Relationships
In an ideal world, no power can undo a true and genuine relationship between two people. However, with the internet and social media, this is no longer the case.
Social media has changed the way that we perceive our relationships with other people. There are pros and cons to this, many of them stemming from the convenient availability of the internet.
Pros
- We can now stay in touch with those that are important. We can communicate and stay in touch with each other which is particularly helpful when it comes to long-distance relationships. AT&T internet can make this as simple as can be thanks to their smooth, strong, and reliable internet.
- Different types of apps make it easier for people to meet new friends or potential partners. The same can be said for online communities for other things
- Using social media, a couple can openly profess their love and adoration for each other. In modern times, this is often considered the first step in making things official or deepening the bond between two people.
Cons
- Social media is directly responsible for invoking a feeling of jealousy among partners. This is often the case if the partner in question spends significant time online while also behaving inappropriately with people outside of their relationship
- When using social media, people share a variety of different posts here and there. It is not uncommon for partners to take issue with this because they may find it disrespectful, and inconsiderate, and chatting over text messages rarely does the job right.
- It is common knowledge that almost all of what we see on social media is a lie or fabricated. People show the best of their lives which leads us to believe that they have it perfect. Social media has created a certain image of what life is like. Wanting to keep up with this is unrealistic and can be exhausting while draining your bank accounts.
Conclusion
The internet has changed the way we live our lives. When it comes to the relationships we have with people, the internet has played a major role in shaping them into the version we see today.
A blend of technology, social media, and the internet has impacted the way we speak to each other, cultivate relationships, and work on the different aspects of inter-person contact. With its pros and cons, it is important to maintain a balance so we don’t get carried away or grow too dependent.
