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Jenna Smith
English 111
Dominic Borowiak
4 November, 2014
Technology In Our Everyday Lives
Albert Einstein once said, I fear the day that technology will surpass our human
interaction. Only 60 years after Einsteins death, his fear has become a reality. Technology has
consumed our generations lives and is causing several changes in our everyday interactions.
With smartphones, Ipads, laptops, and so many other means of communication, our social,
educational, and emotional lives have changed. The real question becomes has technology
changed us for the better or for the worse? Those who argue the worse would suggest we have
stopped showing sincere feelings and genuine happiness and instead choose to use emoji or lol
because it is just too much work to send a post card or go out for a birthday dinner. Our
intellectual abilities have become so simplistic; we just type questions into Google instead of
reading a book or taking a class. We prefer the instant gratification over the gradual, in-depth
processing of information. Those who argue the better would suggest the introduction of internet
allows us to scan information more quickly and thus be more efficient. It allows us to keep long
distance relationships aflame and even broaden our social groups. Regardless of the article or the
researcher, everyone can agree that technology has changed the way in which we live. The
problem with technology being labeled as changing our lives for better or for worse is a difficult
and really slippery slope. It is so relatively new that we are learning to adjust with it as we go. It,
like our lives because of it, is rapidly changing and that change may take time to truly evaluate. It

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is very important to understand the implications of technology on our lives because it could
potentially be turning our world upside down and if that is true, we need to find ways to stop
technology from taking over our world.
When the idea of something new is introduced, it is human nature to be cautious, to be
critical, and even to judge. Usually over time, it is also human nature to accept and even come to
like the idea. Technology has always been in this situation. Looking at history, the telegraph, the
radio, and especially the television have all been said to have negative effects on thinking and
behavior. After time, all of those have become wonderful tools in our lives that we use everyday
in a positive way. Perhaps, the new technology we use today could be the same way. According
to an article, The Internet and Social Life, written by John Bargh and Katelyn McKenna from
New York University, the internet and technology has been labeled as a powerful new tool for
the devil. This article suggests that every new piece of technology has been met with caution,
criticism, and yes, judgment. That judgment can range from good to bad. Some see the
technology as a cure all for every ailment. People use the internet to find and research
information, look up new friends, find quick answers, store pictures, and almost anything else
possible. There are always two sides to an argument though. The opposing side, names the
technology as a tool to be mean, perverse, but mostly anonymous. The technology allows certain
terrorists the ability to communicate with massive amounts of people privately! Obviously, there
are advantages to the wide spread use of technology and anonymity. Bargh and McKenna,
however, also positively suggest that anonymity can encourage relationships that move beyond
physical attraction and rather focus on values and morals. This can be seen in a variety of
instances where online dating is preferred because people talk or type their real thoughts,
dreams, and emotions. It gives them a sense of security and safety. Erin Gemmel, a graduate

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researcher at the University of Pittsburgh in a joint project with Michael Peterson, a professor at
the University of Delaware, studied the effects of technology on college aged students. They
agree with Bargh and McKenna and they also suggest that technology has helped college level
students feel less socially isolated (280). College aged students reported in a survey that they
received social support from the internet. This support comes in the form of support groups,
online chat groups, instant messaging, and emails (281). The implication and near reality is that
socially our lives have been changed by technology which makes us feel safer and yet could
endanger us by means of exposure to unwanted or anonymous users. There is a fine line between
truly being socially supported and having the perception of being socially supported because of
online relationships. There are so many positives and negatives of using the technology we have
to enhance our social lives but there is so much more to learn about how technology is
affecting us. Technology is so new to us, we cannot help but to criticize it and prematurely judge
the affect of it on our population as a whole, but we cannot possibly understand the full effect of
technology yet. In addition to encouraging social interaction, technology has been linked
negatively to altering social pressures. Dependency on the internet for social happiness can be
risky business and be very distracting. Young adults often find themselves tempted to spend time
with technology when they should be doing other things, like studying or sleeping. Many college
aged students even sleep with their cell phones so as not to miss any of the local gossip,
relationship updates, and Facebook statuses. After surveying 299 college students, Gemmel and
Peterson suggest that disruptions from technology are a significant problem among college
students. (280). This study also suggests that the problems are mainly procrastination,
temptation, and basically poor choices. These poor choices then lead to stress for the student.
What is interesting in their study, in terms of technology changing social activity, is that students

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report that when they are really stressed out, they are more likely to call a friend and go hang out
with them. In this case, the technology provides a tool to drive personal face-to-face
communication (Gemmel&Peterson 291). There are two different sides to the issue of
technology, and either side could be correct since we have no way of knowing the full effect
technology will have on our social lives. In a closer look at how technology has changed our
social lives, this would seem that the technology opens the door for new relationships, but when
those relationships become close, the relationship moves beyond the technology and personal
connections are strengthened. Bargh and McKenna suggest that a normal persons real friends
would be involved with that person in the real world as well as through technology. While
Bargh and McKenna see technology as a tool that inspires and strengthens relationships, there
are many others who would oppose that idea. It is normal to have so many different views since
due to the newness of technology, there is no concrete evidence that either side is right or wrong.
Is it always true that online relationships inspire face-to-face interactions?? We havent
had the power of instant communication long enough to see if the technology is actually used as
a tool or if it is used as a replacement for face-to-face interaction. While Bargh and McKenna
suggest that technology actually initiates relationships and makes them stronger, many critics
like to argue that an over reliance on technology has made it hard to have personal face-to-face
relationships. Each side to the issue does not have full proof or evidence that supports their
reasoning of technology is good, or technology is bad. They just have small surveys or
observations that lead them to believe their opinion on technology. They cannot possibly have all
the puzzle pieces to prove technologys full effects because of the new appearance of it. An
opposing view, David Wyngat from the Huffington Post, disagrees with Bargh and McKennas
idea that technology makes relationships stronger. Wyngat states, We no longer pay attention to

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whats going on around us, because all we are is consumed with our so-called smartphone. The
more people get these, the more people become addicted to them, and the less social interaction
people have (and learn how to have) (Is Twitter and Facebook the End of Society?). We are so
dependent on our smartphones that it leads to us being extremely lazy, socially. Why send a post
card in the mail when we can just message s friend on Facebook? Why connect with a friend in
person when we could just text them? Those who have grown up with technology often dont
even realize that they are excluding those around them because they are so in tune and dependent
upon their technology. Social laziness may not be intended or even a true issue in the long run,
but it definitely has become more and more noticeable with our Digital Natives.
With access to easy, instant communication and information, laziness has become
extremely prevalent in areas of our lives that arent just social. Laziness starts with just a little
lack of motivation in general then spreads to our social interactions and soon it encompasses
different aspects of our lives including researching. Nicholas Carr explains that people who are
already lazy or who are incapable of concentrating, will find new ways to be distracted and goof
off (381). This can be seen in the study done by Gemmel and Peterson. The study suggests that
students often put off studying because the instant messaging or the social media sites were too
tempting (291). Laziness often leads to procrastination and with the ease of research at our
fingertips; many students dont even bother to walk to the library. When they are pressed for
time because they caught up on the local gossip, it is too easy to just Google the assignment or
the research topic. Nicholas Carr uses Google as an example showing a common technological
tool that we are using incorrectly but his discussion applies to much bigger issues as well. The
spread of laziness throughout our lives wont just stop with Google and procrastination. Laziness
could continue to move into all aspect of our lives to a point where we wont even be capable of

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concentration or completion. Carr shows us how our laziness seeps into our other aspects of life,
like researching, leading to a dependence on Google. With the distractions Gemmel and Peterson
describe plus the laziness Carr explains, it could make it even more difficult to pull of deep
thinking and research. This dependence on the technology could continue to cause a loss of
attention in every branch of our lives. While Google has become a best friend to many and has
definitely made life easier for students, it does have the potential to encourage poor habits and a
quick fix mentality.
Perhaps, technology could become the greatest tool mankind has invented. Bargh and
McKenna suggest that it could open the door for new relationships that are completely based on
true morals and values. Technology gives us the power to talk to millions of people! With the
knowledge that we can talk to millions of people, we no longer need to try to impress someone
that does not have the same morals as us in fear of never finding someone who actually does
value the same ideas as us. We could decrease the amount of deceit used in social media. Used
correctly, it could make our relationships much stronger. On the other hand, technology could
take over and completely dictate our lives. Nicholas Carr shows us that laziness has a way of
seeping into all the different aspects of our lives. Carr showed how even a little bit of general
laziness turns into not researching for that paper or even distracting ourselves from our daily
obligations because of that initial laziness. If the spread of laziness turns into an epidemic, it
could turn us into people desperate for interaction without the motivation to fulfill our lives with
the true joy and happiness we can receive from face-to-face interaction! No matter what a person
believes the effect has been, good or bad, we can all agree that technology has changed our lives
drastically. A very important concept we have to understand is that this is only the beginning.

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There are so many different ways technology could affect us in the end and we have no way of
knowing what the outcome will be this early in the evolution of technology.
All of this change that technology has brought upon our daily lives, to some is
perplexing; it is an area to be considered not jumped into. However, in todays society, we have
to accept change and move with it or be left behind. Distractions must be learned to be dealt with
and like it or not, technology has changed the very way in which we are wired (Taylor). We do
not have the luxury of waiting to see if technology works to make our lives better or worse, and
there is not a backlog of history to study either It is just too new to tell. While Albert Einstein
feared that technology would surpass human interaction, he could not have foreseen the way it
would greatly change everything about that interaction; the way we socialize, communicate,
learn, and even procrastinate.

Works Cited
Bargh, John A., and Katelyn Y.A. McKenna. "The Internet and Social Life." Internet and Social
Life. Annual Reviews, 2004. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.
<http://www.yale.edu/acmelab/articles/Internet_and_Social_Life.pdf>.
Carr, Nicholas. Is Google Making Us Stupid?. The Atlantic Magazine. Boston: Romer, 2008.
Print.
Gemmill, Erin, and Michael Peterson. "Technology Use Among College Students: Implications
for Student Affairs Professionals." NASPA Journal. NCSU, 2006. Web. 3 Dec. 2014.
<http://www4.ncsu.edu/~ladare/eac595/readings/gemmill-petersonl.pdf>.

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Norcross, John. Is Sexting Cheating You Out of Real Intimacy? PsychAlive. 2009. Web. 11
Nov. 2014. http://www.psychalive.org/is-sexting-cheating-you-out-of-real-intimacy/
Taylor, Jim. "How Technology Is Changing the Way Children Think and Focus." How
Technology Is Changing the Way Children Think and Focus. Psychology Today, 4 Dec.
2012. Web. 3 Dec. 2014. <http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-powerprime/201212/how-technology-is-changing-the-way-children-think-and-focus>.
Wyngat, David. Are Smartphones Making Us Stupid. Huffington Post. AOL Tech., 11 Dec.
2010. Web. 11 Nov. 2014. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-wygant/aresmartphones-making-us_b_783750.html