Acidilla, Queenfe De Villa, Mary Frances Chantalle Sy, Ahcy Mari

Borjal, Kaye Kriszel Enciso, Julius Hans BSA 1-12

Technology has broaden the reach of communication around the world. According to
American University Washington, DC, it made complicated tasks easier for the ones who have
access to it, businesses spread their advertisements online easily, and employees have a broader
source of information outside their companies’ firewall. In addition to its advantages, emails,
video calls and conferencing aid people to talk without the need of face to face interaction and
reduce time consuming processes. Moreover, according to Dr. Monica Bulger of Oxford Internet
Institute, some face to face meetings are better off done online to prevent unneccessary and rude
conversations where one can think first on what to reply. Also, technology has made logging
communications much easier and it transformed the workforce into a mobile workforce that
creates employees more productive, happier, and have greater flexibility in work hours and their
location. Certainly, it made the transfer of information fast, easy and convenient while becoming
available to many people.

However, because of this development, people’s attention spans became shorter and
printed materials do not interest them anymore. Likewise, relationships built through personal
interactions were lost. Emails and texting can show a lower standard of professionalism and as
stated by Sir Victor Blank, a former chairman of Lloyds TBS, technology-generated replies are
more rude than actual conversations. Also, it forces employees to even manage office works
outside their working schedule as Dr. Bulger states as "cognitive overload" or "data deluge”. It
also made important data vulnerable for breaches, because it is only stored in people’s personal
mobile and computer devices that are often used in public places.

In the means of technology, one of the platforms people use to communicate, is the social
media. It can connect us and isolate us at the same time. According to the Global Web Index,
people spent a massive amount of time on social media. People are becoming less aware on their
environment, but very aware on their virtual world. Furthermore, it slowly eats their system
without being aware of the risks of addiction, anxiety, isolation, depression, cyberbullying and
low self-worth. As stated by Kristin Galluci, Director of Marketing in Signarama, "Technology
are not the problem because we are the problem". Thus, if people learn to manage the usage of
these moderately, they can balance the virtual connection and live interaction.