Do we as a society  rely so much on computers as a means of communication that it's hurting our social skills?
403202
I think it could be either better or worse for social skills.  If you are in a situation where it's hard to communicate with people about ideas, it's great to have a forum like this one.  I learn so much here, and have the pleasure of helping others with my ideas.  On the other hand, if I had a child who needed my attention, or I was ignoring my friends, it wouldn't be good.  So, it could go either way.
14023
I think so.  I think most of modern technology brings stress along with its benefits.  After all, it used to be you could get away from the telephone, the television, and the stereo: now you carry them with you.  I check my email several times a day; if it was only snail mail, once a day would be enough.  Things change faster, and even the rate of change is accelerating.  Remember Alvin Toffler's "Future Shock" book?  I'd like to get a copy of that now, to see how accurate his predictions were.  It is my impression that the reality is even scarier than the predictions that scared me so bad when I was in college!
803972
1. As an engineer, I've worked intimately with high-technoloogy. The interesting thing is that many people are unaware of some of the ways technology influences their lives. From the sensors that control the airbags in their cars, to traffic indicators with burried sensors, to cell phones, and even the way mail gets sorted. It's ubiquitous.\n\n2. Technology helps in research, in travel and even entertainment.\n\n3. Technology, when it malfunctions can be extremely frustrating. About the only thing it doesn't help with is in enjoying the out-doors, as long as you don't count the technology in your footwear, and you don't use a GPS.... etc.\n\n4. I know many people who've gotten together on MySpace and other sites. I, too have made friends. Certainly it's helping people to get together in some ways. On the other hand, if you spend all your time on the computer, you tend to lose the real-life relationships that are very important.\n\n5. False dichotomy. People want to see things as good or bad; right or wrong; innocent or guilty; straight or gay; whatever. Technology can't be pinned down to such a thing. I think that technology is purely neutral. It's how it is used that is good or bad. Just like a gun, an inanimate object. It could be used to gather food, for protection from wild animals, or even as a hammer. It could also used to commit a crime. The object, or technology has no inherent good-ness or bad-ness.\n\n6. Technology is becoming more ubiquitous and more embedded in our lives. It will continue on to the point where we view it as an extension of ourselves, like clothing. We hopefully will use it more and more, but not become so dependent on it that we are unable to function without it.\n\n7. That's an impossible question as every tool we have is technology. From the early spears to kill game, to heated rocks to keep oneself warm in the cold. People tend to think of computers and cell phones and automobiles as technology, forgetting that they are simply logical extensions of the technology of our forebears. To attempt to exist completely without technology leaves one naked in the woods.\n\nWithout computers or telephones or automobiles, some of us would still be quite happy, knowing how to survive without these things. Hopefully I could retain some of my books (technically, they are technology), and I could be quite comfortable (assuming that the technology deficit happened during the spring or summer and I was able to prepare for the harsher seasons).
183353
Yes, mankind has become far too dependent on technology, if we lost all of our technology tomorrow, I am convinced that only myself and few friends I know have the skills to survive without what we take for granted today. For me, computers are fun, like this answering stuff, but I sure don't base my life on it...its a dangerously fragile world we live in. Mankind survived far longer without all of the crap we have today, but most of have lost the basic survival skills that used to come naturally to us.
261317
People who don't live close together can interact via chat/email/instant msg making the world a smaller place ... however some people actually end up getting less "face-time" with real people who are close by (or even in the same household)
263420
Electronic means of communication has brought the entire world closer together.  First, it was the telegraph, then telephone and now the internet.  Communication is what makes the world go around and the tools we have invented over the past 100 years helped us grow and evolve to where we are today.
1136236
Ppl today have let cell phones become a crutch. We get so used to finding ways to need them, that we become dependent on them in order to function. It's because we've let it take the place of important functions in our lives, such as keeping in touch w/friends & family, when we'd normally, otherwise, work in other ways to not let it take over those important functions, that we grow dependent upon them.\n\nIt's gotten so bad to the point that there's now been a new form of an anxiety disorder that has been developed & recognised, known as Ring-anxiety. It's where we think we hear our phones going off all the time, or develope anxiety over missing a call/text msg & so feel the need to keep checking our phones.\n\nIn today's society we live a much more faster paced life style & because of it, many things that traditionally didn't get the shrug, have now been pushed to the back burner in order to keep up. Such things as face time w/friends & family, keeping in touch w/them, managing our finances, etc. Ppl have learned to incorporate using cell phones into their hectic lives to the point of needing them. \n\nAlso, when we have cell phones, we develope routines w/them. I know that when mine isn't working or I forget to bring it w/me, I find things that I wish I could do that I got used to being able to do when I have my cell w/me, that in the past, I never thought of & could do prefectly fine w/out. For example, when I have to wait in line for something, I usually give my mom a quick call, or on my breaks I call my husband. Thus, this all goes back to my mentioning how we live in a much more fast paced society today & things like keeping in touch have taken a back burner & we neglect to find other ways to work face time & keeping in touch in because we've learned to fall back on our crutch- the cell phone.\n\nBasically, if we didn't have our cell phones, we'd usually find other ways to work around our busy schedules to fill those needs or functions that we've given over to our phones.
313746
Yes, technology is ruling our minds, but no, I never actually went crazy over technology.  I'm plotting revenge against my computer, and that's a dish best served cold.
341548
I agree that in K -- 8 schools it would be rather difficult to replace teachers with technology. I don't see how a computer can tie shoes, wipe noses, put on band aids, etc. Oh! To say nothing of the fact that any vocabulary that is retained from those years is because of emotional connections made with those words. I don't see the computer being helpful in that regard. Is the computer going to pat the student's shoulder and pass out tissues when a student fails a test? Is the computer going to set time aside to talk to the students about the fact that "Jimmy's" mom died, and he won't be back to school for a while? Is the computer going to go outside with the kids and show them how to measure the telephone pole, tree, etc. using geometry and ratios? Teachers not only teach math, reading, science, Etc.,  but they also pass along the culture of the societies in which they teach. We'd be giving up a lot if we gave up human teachers.
125647
It has sadly become far too focused on itself.  If you need more proof, just take a look around at the number of people engaged in a cell phone conversation in public.\n\nIt seems to me our entire culture has turned in on itself, making it ever more convenient to separate ourselves from the world.  Technology has become a double-edged sword, providing us with amazing new ways to be more productive and organized, but often at the expense of human interaction.  Communicaton and entertainment devices provide us with amazing mobility, but our Blackberrys and iPods only further cut us off from one another.\n\nOf course, technology isn't the whole problem.  Our culture has also become incredibly jaded and disenfranchised, always expecting the worst from others and usually getting it.  We use childish, egotistical athletes as role models, making life all about "getting paid".  Our fascination with celebrity has become an obsession--just check out the ratings for "reality" shows.  And our domestic and international political views are too often shaped by sound bites and media talking heads.  Apparently it's just easier to agree with someone than figure it out yourself.\n\nI don't believe it has to be like this.  Our technological advancements don't have to come with a price that devalues our very existence.  And we do not just have to accept that the world with all its troubles is simply beyond redemption.  We simply have to want to be involved in the lives of others. How do we do that?  Parents have to care more about their kids' relationships with others (not to mention their own) than they do about making sure they're doing the right things.  We have to educate on how to use technology to collaborate, instead of to isolate.  We have to look harder for our heroes.  Let's face it--the one thing 9/11 taught Americans was who they really were.  In short, we all have to love ourselves and life and be obsessed about them less.
151514
computers can do complicated tasks, but as far as I now computers can not think in the way that human do, we are still superior.
239919
Like most things, the internet gives us miraculas benefits and dangerous possibilities. With the growing energy crisis, we will see more people having the ability to work from home, but this could create a rise in depression and a decline in social skills.\n\nIt will be interesting to watch the development of computers and where the next generation of technology will take us. We will obviously see more voice activated computers, they will be used in more areas of the home, they will be faster, perhaps smaller. They will run most of the aspects of our home (security,entertainment, maintenance, communication). I'm sure there will be aspects we can't even imagine now. We are alreay using them in ways that were inconceivable as little as 12 or 15 years ago. \n\nWe live in interesting times.
208059
Are you kidding?\nSocial skills are the result of socializing!
251163
Computers let us speed up our calculations first.  Then, some very samrt people found the way to make computers help organizing, comunicating and sharing information.  In today´s world, computers are the most essential component of any organization intended to run something bigger than a house.  They are everywhere and we have become dependent on them.
815163
Computers Have Changed Our Lives\nby Patricia Wong\n\n    It’s amazing how computers have changed our lives. For example, computers have made work easier. Before computers, work took more time, because everything was manual and had to be printed, so finding files and information was difficult and slow. In contrast, now every office and business uses computers.  Places like stores, restaurants, offices, hospitals, police departments, airports, etc, use computers because computers can keep a lot of information which is organized in files or programs and easy to find in one place and in a short time. Besides, computers can control machinery and engines faster and efficiently than if someone has to do it personally. Also, computers have influenced our everyday life. Before the computers, for example, we use to buy things personally, by mail or by phone. But with computers, we can buy anything and request information about items that we want in short time and without the necessity of going to the stores.  Also, with computers we have the possibility of playing games, reading books, listening to music, watching movies, pictures, etc. in only one place and very fast without the necessity of going to different places. Furthermore, cars are equipped with computers such as, those that can inform us about the temperature, if the engine has a problem, open a window by pressing a button or finding a street. In addition, we can chat or e-mail someone wherever and whenever we want in a short time and with the certainty that this person has received our message and will have an answer very soon.      Otherwise, computers have changed the way that we can learn in school. We can use the computer as a word processor that is more comfortable and easier to use than a typewriter. With the computer, we can get a lot of information quickly from the Internet so we don’t have to go to the library and look for a lot of books. In addition, computers help us to keep a lot of information and process it quickly and them use it anytime. As you can see, there are some examples of how computers have changed our life and made it more comfortable and easy.\n\n\n\nhope  this  will  help  u
89846
I don't think it's the internet per se but technology in general.  These gadgets and gizmos that require us to send messages with a limited number of letters corrupts the language because we get used to this kind of "language" even when we're not limited by message size anymore.
808557
well technology  didnt just happen over 100 years. We had a lil help. We went from having hardly crap and now computers,cell phones, and that damn tv. making people lazier then hell. right now there working on developing a chip that they plant into ur brain thats somthing like the internet. Where u can chat wit other people just by thinkin about it and even listening to music (also makes it easier for the government to keep track of everybody). thats going to make people fatter then hell. Everybody will just stay at home and do nothing all day long. And a benefit of all this technology is that we hardly have to lift a finger anymore.