Introduction
In today’s technological landscape, individuals can access many opportunities that past generations did not have. The pervasiveness of technology in this culture has resulted in a deadly addiction in many people’s life. Michael Harris, in his book, discusses his fascinating analysis of this generation’s connection with technological innovation and its consequences. He analyzes how, despite the harmful effects of technology, people continue to use it because they believe it is the only way to solve their problems. As a result, people rely on the digital world for self-approval, creating a barrier between individuals and the world at large. It is evident how technology has irrevocably changed this generation’s outlook on life in chapter three of Harris’ book. This essay reviews the effect of technology on social relations while connecting the lessons from Harris’ (2015) work to Quan-Haase’s (2015) views on community and relationships in the technological era. The connections developed to reveal that social relationships are affected by individuals’ use of technology.
A Brief Review of Presented Concepts
Since no person can live in isolation, relationships have always been a crucial part of the human experience. Before technological inventions, people believed in social cohesion, and solutions were found through personal communication. Things changed when technological solutions such as mobile phones and the internet shifted people’s focus from the physical to the digital world. Harris (2015) calls it a “mess of changes” wherein a friend can stop mid-conversation to reach for their phone (10). This example reflects the extent to which people have adopted technological solutions in a cultural shift. Through every innovation, people have changed their perspectives on life, becoming more alienated from each other. People have become so engrossed on the internet that they rarely notice the shift it creates between their perceived and real lives.
Technological adoption implies a change of perspectives from what was considered important before the technology to what drives people’s motives today. In nine chapters, Harris (2015) evaluates the place of technology in today’s generation, tracing its history and analyzing the changes experienced all along. He underscores how technology “kills absence” goes on to show how social bonds have been affected, leading to disrupted personal relationships. Although most of this book is dedicated to the negative implications of technology, the author shows that people can benefit from technology without being alienated from vital personal relationships and associations.
Analysis and Connections
Technology is viewed as an information tool, providing solutions to virtually any problem. Harris (2015) starts chapter three by looking at how people see technology as the sole way to solve problems. One example is fifteen-year-old Amanda Todd, who killed herself after being harassed, tormented, attacked, and stalked, as documented in her YouTube video. Notably, she kept coming back to the very thing that had brought her pain: technology. From the perspective of a generation that has grown up with technology, Todd believed that “the solution to a technology-related problem is more technology” (Harris, 2015, p. 55). Although her mother had raised and supported her well, Todd opted to direct her emotions to the media. This concept aligns with the social capital theory that Quan-Haase (2015) advanced in chapter nine of his book addressing community dynamics in society. Todd felt that the community could not solve her problems since she had no social capital, directing all her attention to the internet.
Despite the drawbacks, knowing the advantages that technology can offer makes it simple to assume that it is the solution to all concerns. The negative aspects of technology can readily be hidden behind the positive aspects. While unmasking the intricacies of technology-mediated relationships, Quan-Haase (2015) notes that technology has re-written “social boundaries set out by class, race, and status” (209). This implies that relationships have moved from genuine personal empathy to superficial interaction heavily influenced by public opinion. In the case of Todd, the solution to her social challenges arising from being bullied would have been found if she had turned to society for help (Harris, 2015). On the contrary, this was only realized after her death with her mother, wishing that everyone would watch Todd’s videos and avoid similar effects in the future. People have redefined the emotional dimensions of their lives, turning to the internet for comfort.
The relevance of social capital theory is exemplified in need for socialization and solace in a person’s life and the repercussions of their lack. Harris (2015) quotes Thoreau’s framework of understanding technology-mediated relationships wherein he argues that the failure of a person’s inner life contributes to more attention to the internet (p. 93). This adds to the premise that technology kills social capital and turns people into internet addicts devoid of true solace. While addressing human relationships in the technology-driven era, Quan-Haase (2015) applies the normative theory to show how people’s depiction of “self as the ideal person” on the internet contributes to a mismatch that ultimately leads to desperation (p.214). This connection unveils the reality that problems will always occur unless technology complements social relationships, taking people further from their desired end.
The impact of technology on the mind and relationship building is demonstrated by the brainwash and misguided human approaches illustrated in the literature. In a generation that views every problem as a “digital nail to be hammered by the hammer of technology,” Harris (2015) notes that individuals have become internet addicts (p. 40). Before the extensive use of technology in defining human interactions, knowledge was not as easily accessible as it is now, and truth was valued above public opinion. Today, however, people have become so addicted to the internet that they fail to recognize the destructive impacts on their minds. Since the algorithm used on the internet to filter search results is based on the number of views, people believe what most other people believe, even if it is incorrect. This information agrees with the dystopian view of digital media illustrated by Quan-Haase (2015), wherein he shows that as people gain more information over the internet, they start drifting away from each other, disconnecting from the community. Essentially, technology has contributed to developing a new community devoid of any true connections.
Sexual relationships have also been significantly affected by technology, translating into an increased rate of divorce and similar deviant behavior. Harris (2015) gives the stories of Jack and Dan, whose obsession with online dating sites is attributed to the deception perpetrated on the internet regarding sexual relationships. According to Quan-Haase (2015), the value of sexual relationships has been diluted by the increased reliance on the internet for connections that do not lead to family bonds. This link is tied to the need for a sense of belonging resulting from being disconnected from the community. Therefore Harris (2015) and Quan-Haase (2015) agree that obsession with technology has distorted human perceptions of life, relationships, and wellbeing. However, Harris (2015) comments that technology is not in itself evil but dangerous. Its dimension and extent of application are directly related to its benefits. In essence, turning to the internet for sexual gratification worsens individuals’ solitude leading to depressive symptoms and sometimes ending in suicide.
The economic, social, and political dimensions of society have all been impacted by technological innovations. Individuals who lived before incorporating technology into many life processes appreciate that it made life easier through improved communication systems and information sharing. Ironically, Harris (2015) claims that people know “everything and nothing” at the same time (p. 152). This could imply that although there is a lot of information available on the internet, not all contribute to improved living standards. Quan-Haase (2015), in his work on technoscience, shows how networked individualism has resulted from a human obsession with the internet at the expense of social connections. In this respect, individualism has developed from the rise of the customized internet as a strong tool for communicating and acquiring information over long distances. Both authors acknowledge that the internet has improved people’s lives, although it has promoted seclusion instead of communal unity. Although knowledge is available, failing to share it in the community reduces its value.
Although technology has largely been described as a development that led to an entire shift in life and relationship perspectives, it cannot be dismissed as an unnecessary intrusion. Harris (2015) notes that he would not want to go back in time, although he lived in those days before and enjoyed the tranquility. He believes that some of the things revolutionizing multiple life aspects would lose meaning without technology. Quan-Haase (2015) agrees that businesses have now moved into digital operations, a step that has led to exponential growth in the business sector. Life is shown to be progressive, with individuals developing new viewpoints depending on their level of exposure to innovative solutions. People have become more knowledgeable through improved education systems as the economy expands. Clearly, such advancements would not have been possible without technology. Both authors assert that the solution lies in mitigating negative technological influences without foregoing current developments.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there have been several innovations and inventions in the technology landscape. These developments have significantly influenced human life by changing how people view each other. Relationships have been altered by digital communications making it easier for people to seek public opinion through social media than to develop personal relationships within the community. While a lot of information has been made available on the internet, it has diluted the value of knowledge, brainwashing individuals and confining them to public opinions. Harris and Quan-Haase have raised similar points showing how inappropriate use of technology has been detrimental to society. Both authors have shown that people have relied on social media for approval, the lack of which has led to many depressive symptoms. Internet bullying and online dating have emerged as some of the vices destroying the moral fabric of society. Therefore, although technology has improved people’s lives, it has contributed to a myriad of social challenges, calling for intervention measures from individual and society levels.
References
Harris, M. J. (2015). The end of absence: Reclaiming what we’ve lost in a world of constant connection. HarperCollins.
Quan-Haase, A. (2015). Community in the network society – relationships in-and-with 21st-century technoscience. In A. Quan-Haase (Ed.), Technology and society: Social networks, power, and inequality. Oxford University Press.
Quan-Haase, A. (2015). Techno-mediated relationships. In A. Quan-Haase (Ed.), Technology and society: Social networks, power, and inequality. Oxford University Press.