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Essay / The digital revolution and its effects on individuals
“Nowadays, being connected does not depend on the distance that separates us from each other, but on the communication technologies available. » Today's relationships are impacted by the digital revolution. Modern technology takes time and attention away from spouses, families, and friends. Japanese people believe that cell phones, text messages, instant messaging, email and online gaming have created social isolation. The greatest “social skill” these days is maintaining eye contact with another person while texting. In some ways, texting might be a good thing, because it helps people stay in touch with family and friends who they might not otherwise be able to keep up with. However, society is overwhelmed by all of this. Kids complain about trying in vain to get their parents' attention away from their phones and onto them. We have reached the point where distinctions are blurring. “Virtual places offer connection with uncertain claims of engagement. We don't count on cyber friends who will come to see us if we are sick, to celebrate our children's successes, to help us mourn the death of our parents. People know this and yet the emotional charge in cyberspace is high. » Sherry Turkle writes that when she was younger, there were always hopscotch drawings on the sidewalk. Today, the children are still away, but they are on the phone. One of the many disadvantages of communicating via cell phones is that it lacks nonverbal cues. Communication is therefore less personal and more open to errors of interpretation. “Technology offers a 'safer' type of relationship... people can exercise a greater degree of control... a less demanding mode of interaction than a conversation that takes place in real time. People like the idea of online identities because online they can be rich, thin, and “enhanced.” Pe...... middle of paper ......me back with a smartphone without internet and glowing reports. “Mimi,” she exclaimed, “he’s a tzaddik. You have to go meet him in person. It’s worth the drive from Brooklyn to Lakewood.” I was in Brooklyn at the time, but the weather didn't warrant a trip to New Jersey. However, I hope to see him on the East Coast for the summer. It's not like I have a smartphone or an unfiltered internet connection, but it feels like an experience!! Works cited1. E-mail. Text messages. Cell phones. Social networks. Internet. » Mishpacha Magazine, (November 6, 2013); 33-382. Szumski, Bonnie and Karson, Jill, Are Cell Phones Dangerous?, San Diego, California, Reference Point Press, Inc., 20123. Turkle, Sherry, Alone Together, New York, New York; Basic Books, 20114.5. http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cell%20phone