iTechnology 

by Juan Carlos Hernández C.

The development and improvement of technology has greatly improved our lives. Technology is pretty much in everything we do now. From the coffee maker that makes our coffee in the morning, to the cashier at the checkout counter who we pay our groceries to. Computers and machines are now doing the work that used to be tiresome for people to do every single day. They do massive computations of numbers and work every single day without stopping.

There are various ways through which technology has impacted our lives, and affect our relationships and this includes the following:

I start my day by checking email, skimming the latest headlines, and posting something ambiguous. Then, I spend the rest of my day texting, messaging, browsing, posting, updating, watching, and sharing.

Although too often we develop shallow friendships with people who share a common interest or friend, without engaging in meaningful discussion. In fact we hide behind a screen to avoid pain and sometimes our real personality.

Privacy, sincerity, and personalization is what’s lacking in today’s interactions; we tend to only communicate with others when we need something. Even holiday greetings aren’t as meaningful anymore. Sending out those generic mass messages lacks the personal touch of a call or card.

In order to stay in touch today, we have to keep up with the times whether we like it or not.

What all this does mean though is that we need to learn how to balance our offline and online communication. Make yourself available in a variety of ways and know when each method is appropriate.

The problem, however, comes when we find ourselves subtly substituting electronic relationships for physical ones or mistaking our electronic relationships for physical ones. We may feel we're connecting effectively with others via Internet, but too much electronic-relating paradoxically engenders a sense of social isolation.

For example, we write things like "jajaja" to describe our laughter, but they're no real substitute for hearing people laugh, which has real power to lift our spirits when we're feeling low. People are often uncomfortable with face-to-face confrontation, so it's easy to understand why they'd choose to use Internet.

For transferring information efficiently, the Internet is excellent. For transacting emotionally sensitive or satisfying connections, it's not.

Recently my ex-girlfriend and I came to be together like a couple through Skype, at the beging everything was wonderful, later she began to change her personality and soon I got bored with this relationship, we decided to leave us.

On the other hand in my home, I miss that days when we gone to the table and taste a good flavors of fresh meal and our only company was a old-radio. Now I usually eat with my tablet or my cell phone chating with someone or simply surfing on facebook, and it’s so hard to quit.

I really need a balance between my personal life and my use of technology!!!