Technology and Social Interaction

              Most of human communication is non-verbal, but that does not mean communication solely through the internet, texts, or other digital media is not meaningful.  When the only way to talk is through type, it makes the user focus on what is being written and rethink the thought before pressing “send”.  This in itself makes the person think before they “speak”.  In the virtual world, you are your words.  Digital media enables those that may suffer from physical barriers (i.e. handicaps, lack of confidence) to interact as equals.  In Second Life, for example, you can be whoever, go wherever, do whatever, the company’s advertisement even says Second Life can “change your mind and your world”.  What would you do if you had unlimited resources, the change to live, indeed, a second life.  You could design yourself as well as the place you live.  Nothing is stopping you.  However non-verbal communication is lost or misinterpreted such as original intention, context, and sarcasm. 

            I believe that the spread of such technology has a positive impact on our everyday face to face interaction.  This was not always my opinion.  I was like many who believed those that spent scrupulous amounts of time using digital media were anti-social, awkward, and even lazy people.  However, after the TED talks and even conversations with some new friends here, I have found that technology actually enables communication not like I had spoken of before but an even deeper level of commitment to ones words and actions.  My friend said that he was incredibly shy growing up and when he found World of Warcraft, he was able to practice his language skills, grow comfortable with typing, and then translate those skills into real world conversation.  He said without World of Warcraft, he would still be the same unconfident, shy boy he once was.  I then continued to ask him, are the friends you made in World of Warcraft the same as the friends you have here in the real world?  He replied that they are friends in a different way, that they provide more of an outlet, and a group of people that share common interests.  This idea of relationship “difference” can be applied to online dating and marriage.  In the digital world, we can create meaningful relationships but in a way that we are not used to.  Dating and marriage online can seem like an outlandish concept to certain individuals, but to others, the virtual world is a viable platform through which people meet their girlfriends, boyfriends, and future spouses.  I believe that you can create relationships that will be limited by physical means.  Balance between online communities and real communities is key to living a healthy lifestyle.  Both can work symbiotically.  If balance is not obtained, then the real world should never be sacrificed for the virtual and the person must focus on the real.  True interaction is physical, discussion is similar and requires less physical interaction, but most of all, we are our words but also our actions.