Technological advancement in the past few decades has been tremendous all over the world. The millennial, people born after 1980, are the “natives” of technology because they were born and grew up as the word was shifting from old fashion to new technology. The advantages of technology have been profound to the extent that every aspect of life has since changed. The millennial stand to gain the most as opposed to the previous generations, and stand to lose nothing significant.
Typically, the technology changed the perspectives of socialization. Drago (13) argued that technology has taken the place for face-face communication. The emerging question is whether there is anything to benefit by moving away from the face to face conversation. Fundamentally, the online platform gives one more audience and cuts the issues of distance and speed. When an individual post on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, among others, the person can reach thousands of follows. In this regard, the need for tedious letter writing does not arise.
Moreover, the time used to share information is no longer a problem. In the previous generations, one needed to gather people in the house or churches to spread information. In follows that such gathering would take a significant amount of time to make them successful. However, with technological platforms, information sharing is instantaneous. No one can limit the socialization process to physical contact. Besides, one can chat on a real-time basis with a person from any part of the world using Whatsapp, 2go, Viber, among other apps. In this regard, the nature of communication shifted from face to face conversations to include more remotely but almost as effective as one on one interactions.
Perhaps the most significant advantage the millennial have over the previous generations is the breakage of the boundaries existing between the "normal" and physically challenged people. Socialization required movement or a continuous exchange of letters in the past, or reliance on radio or TV announcement that were expensive. The physically challenged, such as the deaf, blind, and dumb faced many challenges in the process of socialization, and it was hard to communicate with them in the social gatherings. However, they can use suitable devices that aid in the communication. For instance, they can write and share information on social groups without needing an interpreter or any person to aid them. Those who cannot hear can read and understand the content shared other than relying on interpreters.
On top of that, they do not need to move from one place to another to get essential commodities. Kirby (219) pointed out that there were changes in the way people ordered for books and or accessed them. Whereas the previous generations used physical books, the millennial can access as many books as they can from online platforms using tablets and laptops. It follows that one does not need to have the physical books everywhere they go. At the same time, the people can share the books but in the traditional way where one borrowed a book and returned it at a later date. Technological platforms allow one to share copies of books in soft form that one does not need to return
However, there are few disadvantages but with quick solutions. Bonnette (1) noted that in the age of information atrophying empathy. Empathy, the reaction to certain feelings about others is crucial in establishing and maintain relationships. It 's hard to understand the perspectives of others when using social media. The distance between the people interacting online limits one’s ability to see the facial, physical, and tonal expressions that indicate the feeling of the individuals. Although that is a critical concern, it is upon the people socializing to expose their feelings. For instance, one can use emoji to express their opinions, emotions, and get an appropriate response. Besides, the evolution of the socialization process would catch up as more videos, emotional clips or gifs come to use to increase empathy.
Critics of the technology claim that technology is affecting the family, and how people make and keep real friends. However, technology may be doing the opposite. The economic demands in today society are demanding. People change jobs often while others may move out of the country. Instead of reducing the contact between former friends, technology enhances such interactions. For instance, an American soldier deployed to Afghanistan could keep in touch with family regularly using technology. One can remain in contact with former workmates, schoolmates, and other acquaintances as opposed to the traditional setup of communication (Hampton).
Some people feel that technology renders people susceptible to great ills in the society. They quote cases of cyberbullying, identity theft, and child abuse on online platforms. The critics fail to recognize that social ills on the internet are not entirely caused by the web but reflects the society’s perception of ethics. In this respect, the problems affecting socialization result from the society’s failure to address the same during face to face conversation. The later prospection does not undermine the fact that the internet makes perpetration of cybercrimes easier, but if one is aware of how to handle them, the person is just as safe as any other in face to face interactions. One can learn the ways of avoiding the ills on the internet and use software made for the same.
The above arguments indicate that technology is advantageous to the millennial. It enhances interaction, reduce barriers resulting from physical disability, saves time, and cuts expenses among others. Technology has since changed the socialization processes despite a few drawbacks that have immediate solutions. The baby boomers have no option other than to catch up with the millennials.
Works cited
Bonnette, Rachel. Rethinking technology’s impact on empathy. 2014. PDF file. Accessed on March 24, 2016 from <http://www.luc.edu/media/lucedu/law/centers/childlaw/childed/pdfs/2014studentpapers/ Bonnette.pdf>
Drago, Emily. The effect of technology on face-to-face communication. The Elon Journal of Undergraduate Research in communications, Vol. 6, No. 1. Spring 2015. PDF file. Accessed from <https://www.elon.edu/docs/e- web/academics/communications/research/vol6no1/02DragoEJSpring15.pdf>
Hampton, Keith. Id technology making people less sociable? The Wall Street Journal May 10, 2015. Web. Accessed on March 24, 2016 from <http://www.wsj.com/articles/is- technology-making-people-less-sociable-1431093491>
Kirby, Alan. Digmodernism: How new technologies dismantle the postmodern and reconfigure our culture. The Continuum International Publishing Group Inc. New York, 2009. ISB: 978-0-8264-2951-3.
