Introduction
It is fallacious to argue that technology has effect on human relationships. The fact of the matter is that technology affects human relationships in different ways, some negative and others positive. I posit that the effect that technology has on ones relationship depends on the manner in which one use technological devices.
Discussion
The internet has both positive and negative effects on relationships. Internet infidelity is one area of concern for hordes of people, particularly its effect on existing relationships. Compared to other forms of infidelity, internet infidelity is easier to hide and proliferate. This is because of the asynchronous nature of communication by e-mail. Through the internet, a disfranchised partner can seek gratification from outside their relationship while still being discrete. Studies have found that internet infidelity is eroding the intimacy in face-to-face relationships. Through such studies, it has been found that for people engaged in internet relationships, their level of self-disclosure is higher with the virtual partner when compared to the face-to-face partner.
On a positive note, the internet has changed the human approach towards relationships. The internet is a ubiquitous forced in people’s daily lives. This is because it has helped increase the frequency and quality of interaction between partners and friends. The internet has also improved the manner in which people connect with others in different social worlds. The internet unifies the speed provided by telephony services with the written characters characteristic of mail services. The invention of virtual presence through the internet allows partners and friends who are separated by geographical zones to mimic a face-to-face relationship. This is through video conferencing and using services like video chatting. As such, relationships that would have fizzled because of geographical distances are given a new lease of life through virtual presence.
Online communication is different from face-to-face communication. Unlike face-to-face communication, online communication more often than not bypasses universal social norms. The cloak of anonymity that enshrouds online communication makes people feel freer to express their views. Additionally, in online communication, people respond to the intellect of an individual than the appearance or social standing. Unlike online communication, face-to-face communication is animated by gestures, facial expressions, tonal variation and other non-verbal communication cues. These non-verbal communication cues are very important because the art of communication does not only involve the words, but also non-verbal cues. To meet this deficit in the online communication realms, programmers have come up with different animations of non-verbal cues. However, I think that these are not as effective as the natural non-verbal cues that we exude when communication face-to-face.
Conclusion
It is debatable whether online communication is better than face-to-face communication. But even within such a debate, the fact is that technology and more specifically the internet, has an impact on human relationships.
