Human beings have always used technology for different purposes.

We use technology to
make our lives more simple and move faster in an ongoing, globalized world. However, as
great as this sounds, its use has also affected how we communicate and relate to people
in different ways.

As it is widely known, we are social beings. Among the many needs we have,
communication is one that must be fulfilled daily. Due to this, press was first invented to
share relevant information about our societes. Nowadays, the digital world connects and
serves us for the same purpose; we express ourselves through social media and send
texts, videos, and audio files through our smartphones. Technology has given us the
chance to keep ourselves updated about different matters all the time.

In spite of this, its use has also affected the way we relate to other people. Online
interactions may lack non-verbal features such as gesture, posture, voice tone, among
others when trying to properly convey a message. As a result, this may cause
miscommunication among people. Similarly, our online interactions can be totally
different from the ones we have face to face, which can distort our perceptions and
beliefs about each other in and out of our virtual platforms.

As a conclusion, it can be stated that technology has had positive and negative effects in
our lives. Good use needs to be made of the technological devices we use for
communicating with others so as to become aware of the impact they have in our social
interactions.

Maximiliano Ayala