"Live" Issue #1

<p><strong>Thesis</strong>: Mostly agree</p> <p><strong>Reason 1</strong>: Technology has led to a decrease in face-to-face meetings.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Reason 2</strong>: Technology has reduced our need for interpersonal relationships.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Concession</strong>: Technology has made it possible to maintain thriving long-distance relationships.&nbsp;</p> <p>Over the past three decades, humans have witnessed more technological change than at any point in our history, notably in the way we communicate. However, the prompt argues that these technological advances have actually harmed our interpersonal relationships. I mostly agree with this stance for the following two reasons, though I do concede that technology has made it possible to maintain thriving long-distance relationships.&nbsp;</p> <p>First of all, technological progress has decreased the quality of our connections with others because our devices and apps have led to a substantial decrease in face-to-face meetings. For example, the rise of video conference apps like Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet <strong><span style="color:#e74c3c;">HAS</span></strong> (grammar mistake I didn&#39;t catch) rendered personal office meetings somewhat obsolete, with employees no longer feeling the need to cram into a conference room to discuss work matters. In addition, many of us do not meet our friends and relatives in person as often as we used to because we can simply use apps like Facetime, Instagram, and Facebook to maintain contact. This phenomenon of humans meeting face-to-face less has dramatically deteriorated the quality of our relationships because there truly is no substitute for communication in person. If we use technology to communicate, especially over text, we miss out on so much nuance and body language that makes our communication so strong, ultimately decreasing our genuine connection with others. We also deprive ourselves the opportunity for physical contact like hugs and handshakes.&nbsp;</p> <p>Second of all, technology, in the eyes of many, has decreased the need for interpersonal relationships. For example, in our modern age, anyone can find a community of like-minded individuals on Reddit or on a niche message board without ever feeling the need to meet these people in person. In addition, apps like TikTok and YouTube Shorts have become so entertaining and addictive that people can simply scroll videos for hours and hours without feeling bored or the desire to meet others. Finally, in the age of artificial intelligence, it is not unreasonable to assume that people will form &quot;genuine&quot; connections with AI bots in the future and spurn humans in the process. An interpersonal relationship only works when both members of the party make an effort to maintain it. If one or both individuals are so distracted with their technological devices and applications, the relationship will quickly dissolve.</p> <p>However, I do concede that technological advancement has improved our ability to maintain thriving long-distance relationships, something that was not possible even in the recent past. For example, a woman in Japan and a man in America can easily form a romantic relationship with constant communication via iMessage or any other of dozens of apps. In contrast, just 40 years ago, the only way for two people in different countries to have consistent contact was via letters or very expensive phone calls using landlines, to say nothing of actually having to buy a plane ticket to visit each other. It is true that these &quot;meetings&quot; are not face-to-face, but that is still an improvement over not communicating at all. The fact that technology makes it possible for any person of the eight billion on this planet to instantly communicate with any other person is a feat so impressive that it would seem like science fiction to those in the recent past. And of course this is why in our modern age it is so easy to maintain relationships over long distances.</p> <p>In conclusion, the advancements we have seen in the past thirty years, especially with smart phones and the Internet, have ironically decreased the quality of our relationships for the reasons stated above. However, I must admit that long-distance connection is far more fruitful in this day and age.</p>