Week 8: Face-to-Face

Question 3:

I personally don’t think my every day face to face time has been altered by technology, but that’s perhaps because I have always really enjoyed having a balance of down time and time out with friends. Technology has probably only affected my face to face time in that I now rely on it to SET UP my face to face time; I usually plan everything through texts, something that’s definitely generational. But other than that, I don’t watch movies online, I still go to the movies; I am not satisfied with being cooped up at my computer all day, talking to a friend ONLY through typing. I think that on a more general level people are probably affected by technology. We can be instantly connected to someone with a click of a button; there’s no traffic, no gas money, no paying for over-priced movie tickets. All you need is the internet to see someone, talk to them, etc. However, I think there’s a lot of value in still maintaining face-to-face time.
I know a lot of people who have used online dating sites and have ended up having successful relationships. The funny thing is that this used to be a taboo or strange thing, but now it’s more commonly acknowledged as a normal romantic “how you met” story. I fear for people meeting through Myspace, Craigslist, etc. because I’ve had the idea planted in my head that there are very dangerous people out there who abuse the internet. I have heard so many stories about people meeting up with someone and then disappearing; I think a LOT of caution must be taken when engaging in these types of activities and interactions. I don’t think there’s necessarily anything harmful with conversing with someone online, but I think meeting someone in person is a whole different ballgame. I suppose the wisest advice if that IS something of interest to you, is that you meet in a public place….or at a police station haha.
I think that “virtual” relationships are very fulfilling for some people, and that’s just a matter of opinion/taste. Some people may feel more comfortable talking online to people; an introverted person is going to be much more capable of talking to someone if the pressure is off. However, I think a lot of value comes from talking to people on a face to face level, especially because most professions and daily activities require human interaction. I understand that knowing people who share a common interest with you is very appealing, and I think most people will attest to that. I DO think as a society we need to make sure that this is being done in an appropriate and successful way. The internet is becoming an increasingly prominent component of our society, and therefore steps need to be made to make sure it’s being used properly. People use the internet now to interact, it’s just the way it is, and sometimes it really is nice being able to talk to people who have the same interests as you or who are playing a game with you, etc. The next step is just to ensure that those who use the internet for this purpose are not being put in jeopardy if they pursue their online friendships in the real world.