It is no secret that technology has changed the world and the way people communicate. The big question is, has it affected communication for the better? People tend to have different opinions on this topic as it has both positives and negatives. Technology has advanced in ways we did not think was possible and has allowed us to talk to people without being face-to-face. 

One of the biggest positives is being able to talk to someone without seeing them in person. People have the ability to send a text to someone in seconds and get a response back just as fast. This is especially handy in the business world. Businesses are all about speed and efficiency. Technology has made businesses everywhere thrive. Senior Celeste Allanach thinks technology has positively changed the way we communicate. “We can stay connected with the people we don’t see everyday, or even the people we do see everyday,” Allanach said. We have benefited from the constant development of new technologies. 

The negative side of technology is the lack of building relationships. One of the most important aspects of life that technology takes away is being able to talk to people. People are so addicted to their phones that they do not know how to hold a normal conversation with someone. Senior Ady Weng said, “I think that it’s changed the way we communicate negatively. I’m only taking this position because I think that while we can talk more often, it doesn’t necessarily mean that we talk about things that truly matter, and people can begin devaluing actual content-based communication in favor of just sending memes back and forth.” Many people spend their time sending funny jokes or videos back and forth to each other instead of having more worthwhile conversations. Social media has also taken over, which is why people are so addicted to their phones – they want to know what is going on in everybody else’s lives. 

According to The NYU Dispatch, “Aiming to stay as far away from [technology] as possible will only hinder someone from advancing themselves in their learning abilities and in society overall” (wp.nyu.edu). Technology is so widely used that people need to learn how to communicate with it because it is the quickest and easiest way to stay connected. Some people say that technology can actually help by allowing people to learn written communication. 

All in all, technology has made a huge difference and has impacted everyone. It can potentially create a lack of relationships, but it has allowed people to communicate with people from anywhere at any time. Looking past some of the negatives, technology has really helped everyone in the long run.