Issues Paper

So I've been thinking about the issues paper quite a bit recently and I think that I would really like to focus on the effects of social networking devices (such as texting, Facebook, etc...) on the communication skills of modern teens. Personally, I feel that people communicate MORE today than ever before because of the accessibility of these technologies, but not necessarily BETTER than they did in former years. I think that the younger generation of modern teens suffer from the effects of an "informational overload" and have become so dependent on these technological devices that they can no longer hold meaningful conversations and have lost some rudimentary social skills necessary to effective communication.

Example: I know several people, and I have even done this once (mostly as a joke, but somewhat seriously), who text a friend that is standing within talking distance. Sometimes even at their side. And I've seen people who do this without actually vocally speaking ever. That's just messed up.

Another example: of this is the overwhelming use of the internet to communicate with closely located friends. I know people that will send instant messages and E-mails and a a myriad of other technologically founded messages to friends that live within a short distance and yet won't make the effort to actually go and see them in person.

Last example: How many people are your "friends" with on Facebook, but yet don't really know them. I know that I have some people from before my mission that I added as "friends" and yet I can only vaguely remember who they are and how we even met. Many of them, I probably pass everyday on campus without saying "Hi" or "How's it going?" simply because we aren't really "friends."

In conclusion, I think that many of these technological social networking devices (or whatever you want to call them), are having a very strange effect on today's teenagers. And that effect tends to be of a negative nature for most.