Digital Media Deteriorating Communication and Relationships - Final Version

Have you ever heard your parents complain that the internet is ruining their children? Have you listened? Technology and social digital media sites are hindering people's communication and personal relationships.

Amanda's views: Digital media is hurting relationships, which in turn hurts society because it is those personal human relationships that make up society. We see people all around looking down at their phones, not bothering to look up and notice the people around them. You never know if there is a person you need to meet, or someone you need to smile at. Digital media hinders this.

Whenever I walk into the cafeteria (the Cougar Eat) in the Wilkinson Center on Brigham Young University campus, I am always in awe at how many people are on their digital devices, not looking at anything but a small or slightly larger screen. My boyfriend and I were sitting in that area one day at a table, and not-so-surprisingly found that we were the only two people there (this was around 9am) who were not looking at a phone or laptop. It was incredible; people are so attached to their digital devices.

Laycee's views: Then on a more personal scale, when individuals are so absorbed with their digital devices, they lose the face-to-face communication skills that are needed in every-day interaction with actual people (not on a screen). Amanda thinks that sometimes we need to surgically remove our digital devices. My family would too agree with this statement. Over the past year I have incrementally increased the amount of time that I am distracted by my devices while I am with my family. This became apparent to me when my sister started mentioning how much time I spend on my phone when I am with her. She did this through statements like “who are you texting”, “You are addicted to you phone” (in a joking voice) and other obvious statements.  I hadn’t even realized how absorbed I was in my technology. I realized at this point that I needed to make a change and chose family over media.

Tailor's views: Digital media also prevents people from properly developing as individuals because people create false identities online through Facebook, Twitter, and other social media platforms. It is really easy to be fake on screen but harder in real life.

My sisters and I created a fake profile as a joke a few years ago. We used pictures from a catalog and random online searches to create the picture profile. Within a few days we had hundreds of likes and people requesting to be our friend. We need real life face to face communications to develop into individuals. It is impossible to do this over a screen. If our profile was completely fake, how many others are like that? We will only develop the way we are meant to if we have close personal conversations that help us decide who we want to be as individuals.

Here are our ideas explained further:

Communication in the 20th century is unlike any other time in history. The invention of the printer, telegraph, and phone has now led us into an age of digital wonder. But is this technology hindering society even as it improves our quality of living?

Tailor's sister and her friends playing in the woods

Although there are many great things about the digital age, the digital age is disintegrating relationships. Phones and technology are effecting us in ways that are becoming more and more clear. Over all it is clear that technology is creating a barrier between us and those around us. This phenomena can be seen everywhere today. New social standards are being created. What do you do when you are waiting for the bus, standing in line at the grocery store or even siting at the dinner table. A few years ago you would see kids talking and interacting while waiting for the school bus but today things are different. Today, kids are plugged in, interacting with only those who are not in their physical presence. It is a terrible time when you can say that you spend more time with your best friend Siri then with your family.

Tailor's cousins on their mom's phone

When we were children we spent our days running around as fairies and princesses on magical conquests. All with the use of our imagination and the imaginations of our playmates. Now, children are more involved with screens and are losing the ability to play pretend games with their friends. Technology has taken that love of interaction away from us. Now the most comfortable way for people to interact is over a phone or message.


Conclusion: digital media is hindering the development of people, their relationships, their ability to communicate, and also hinders society as a whole. Let's set aside our digital paraphernalia and talk to people in person, not on screen, create our true identity without the help of devices, and save society!

Just for argument's sake, here is another group's opposing views of our argument.