When technologies let us communicate with each other — like mobile phones or email — they enhance our relationships. Other technologies, like television or playing games alone, can isolate us. So it’s not the technology, but what it’s used for.

The internet has provided so many wonderful opportunities for opening up debates, communicating with people all over the world, and sharing and hearing the views of others. But I do wonder about the way so many people adopt pseudonyms to participate in blogs. To me, free speech and public debate is all about owning what you say. So yes, people have a right to be heard, but they also have a responsbility to own what they say in a public forum. Regardless of whether we’re in the physical world or the virtual world, our relationships depend on the amount of respect we show each other.

Mobile phone text messaging, email and internet chat sites do enable people to regularly keep in contact all over the world which is great. However they are also having a detrimental effect, particularly on young peoples ability to communicate with others face to face. You can’t put expressions or emotions into emails and SMS’. I know of so many people who are willing to speak their mind or put their opinions out there via email or sms because they feel safer, they don’t have to see or deal with someone elses reaction. This also leads to so many messages being misinterpretted.

Changes in technology always bring advances and regressions.

Horse to car change meant people could move about more freely, stay in touch more easily, had greater exposure to events and places beyond the usual experiences.

At the same time, people lost some contact with the physical world, with their dependence on the natural world and with some of the skills linked to horse and cart days.

So too does 21st Century technological change take us to another life dimension.

Mankind would not willingly revert to horse and cart days because so much more could be achieved with the internal combustion engine and motorised transport.

Similarly mankind does not really want to revert to the slow communications technology of the past. In the end, despite significant losses in quality of life in the past, the gains of the present outweigh the past losses.

Technology has increased our ability to communicate more frequently and across vast distances. However, in our relationships with those around us, technology can hinder the growth of a relationship. Particularly with online relationships, users are more concerned with have quantity over quality when it comes to ‘friends’. We may be able to connect with more people, but the nature of the relationship means that much of it is superficial. Also, as Janine pointed out, this sort of communication can be misinterpreted or heavily constructed, meaning we can present ourselves differently, whether this is intentional or not. Our relationships need to be based on more that ‘Facebook’ or texts to be meaningful and lasting.

I reckon that technology has helped relationships as it allows people to communicate over long distance and create social networks. Technology is great and it allows us to communicate a little more sophisticated than message sticks, smoke signals and semaphore.

I play WoW and my wife left me beacuse i didn’t pay enough attention to her, i am very alone and depressed now, i think that technology ruined my life

I believe that technology has helped relationships and has also destroyed some. some people split up because the husband can’t get off the computer. the good things are that people can communicate over long distances when on business trips or just going away so you can talk to your kids etc.

I think that technology is great for relationships and it allows students to create complex social networks it doesn’t effect Courtship as thats the bit you do when you get together. Its great that people can communicate in more sophisticated ways than message sticks, smoke signals, semaphore and aldis lamps. Technology is helping with a resounding yes!!!

I agree with Michael, it is about what you use the technology for. Most teenagers my age rely on Myspace or Facebook to talk to their friends or family. But computer or playstation games etc. are isolating us from communication. Emailing is a good way to communicate with other but I believe the best way to talk to someone is face to face rather than on a screen.

I believe that technonlgy is a very helpful tool to keep in touch with your loved one