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Both, but I speak to my internet friends more often than my physically close ones. I do know what they look like, however.
The internet allows people to communicate, whether they've met in real life or not,
at times when they'd otherwise be unable to meet up due to time/travel constraints.
Of course there are both upsides & downsides to that...
However, If I'm online at 3 a.m., it's not waking anybody up for me to write there.
I wouldn't call a friend on the phone at 3 a.m. just to chat, though-
so the internet gets points for that
There are more pluses to having the internet in our daily lives than minuses, IMO.
I discovered wonderful hobbies, found my lost dog, found great jobs, sold and bought cool things, met wonderful people, managed my personal finances, and increased my knowledge base on all levels. Love it and feel lost without access.
However, I do agree that the "art of conversation" is being lost to some people and texting, email, and phone yammering often detract from interpersonal relationships and good old fashioned face-to-face conversations.
I use both and try to call friends on the phone and talk to people in person when I can.
I also have made wonderful cyber friendships through hobby forums and blogging.
It's all in how you use and approach it all.
I did give up Facebook due to it's superficiality and dullness, don't tweet, and don't think I'm missing anything by not doing these things.
And I LOVE my smartphone, but know when to put it down and talk to my friends and family "in person".
I like to talk to people in person and on the phone is OK, too, but I'm glad for the Internet, as well. I live in a small, isolated, rural town, and the Internet is my window on the world. I have made cyber friends in distant states and foreign countries. I get exposed to points of view that I would never encounter here. I can shop at 3 am if I want to, and I don't need to travel to the Big City to buy things that the stores here don't carry. I can download the latest books and movies on my Kindle Flame, as well as the latest on-line games and more.
The Internet allows me to have it all. I can live in a rural area with very low crime, great scenary, and friendly people. I can walk around after dark and still feel safe. But I can also sit down at my computer, click on the Internet, and I can be as cosmopolitan as anyone who lives in Denver or Boston. Pretty sweet.
I like to talk to people in person and on the phone is OK, too, but I'm glad for the Internet, as well. I live in a small, isolated, rural town, and the Internet is my window on the world. I have made cyber friends in distant states and foreign countries. I get exposed to points of view that I would never encounter here. I can shop at 3 am if I want to, and I don't need to travel to the Big City to buy things that the stores here don't carry. I can download the latest books and movies on my Kindle Flame, as well as the latest on-line games and more.
The Internet allows me to have it all. I can live in a rural area with very low crime, great scenary, and friendly people. I can walk around after dark and still feel safe. But I can also sit down at my computer, click on the Internet, and I can be as cosmopolitan as anyone who lives in Denver or Boston. Pretty sweet.
Good post, and I agree completely.... I currently live in So Cal and have all of what you say, but I'm gonna move my azz to some po dunk ville location in the future, just because of what you describe in this most excellent post.
My husband and I took our 19 year old son and one of his best friends to dinner recently. We looked across the table and they were both glued to their cell phones. Turns out they were texting...
Not necessarily. While it can and does get overused, technology can be a tool to help open the lines of communication for further in person communication.
A lot of people find this strange, but getting back on fb actually helped me to improve my communication skills and reduce my feelings of isolation. So it actually served as a wonderful bridge between me and the outside, social world.
Location: Huntersville/Charlotte, NC and Washington, DC
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KathrynAragon
My husband and I took our 19 year old son and one of his best friends to dinner recently. We looked across the table and they were both glued to their cell phones. Turns out they were texting...
Each other.
Ridiculous.
They may have been in a convo that they had enough sense to not say out loud in dront of their parents.
In some aspects technology has taken away from personaly communication, but to be honest, those people who choose to look down at their cell phone or iPad instead of the person next to them in the coffee shop or subway, are people who likely would not have made eye contact with you regardless.
Thursday nights I go out for a few beers with a friend of mine after work. The place is packed and the noise levels from everyone engaged in conversation is staggering at times. True, there are a few wallflowers who spend much of their time looking down at their phones or up at the televisions, but for the most part people are socializing eye to eye.
People said the same thing about television 50 years ago. They called it the boob-tube and blamed television for robbing people of their intellect and creativity. Me personally, I wouldn't want to go back to life without the internet and smart phones. As others have stated, it has made life so much easier. Like anything else, it is all in how you use it.
Technology has greatly enhanced my life and my ability to stay in closer touch with folks.
I guess if used the wrong way, it could be a problem.
My hubby and I even text each other while in the house, so we dont' have to run down stairs to find each other or shout, lol. (We both work at home in our own offices at opposite ends of the house).
My son just texted me a few sentences a few minutes ago - just asking how we were doing and our schedule for the weekend.
I have communicated with 7 of my closest friends this morning on FB.
I am posting here, lol.
I am also on chat with a client right now, waiting for a reply, while posting on this forum.
I was able to skip a phone call by emailing my sister this week. I truly truly hate phone calls - they are so interruptive. She does, too, so we usually email or text or leave messages for one another on FB.
So . . . not sure why others feel technology has ruined things. I pay bills online, order things online . . . do research online . . . use an iPhone and an iPad, to both stay in touch w/ clients, keep up with work while away from my desk eating lunch or taking a walk . . .
I guess it all depends on how you integrate these things into your life and which of your family and friends are also "connected."
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