‘The best sign of a healthy relationship is no sign of it on Facebook’ is a quote I read somewhere. These words may appear rather simple and a bit humorous too but there is a world of meaning underlying it.
In fact Facebook is just one of the cases. What is actually affecting relationships is technology. How technology destroys relationship is not a new debate and many views have been put for and against the idea.
Do Mobile Phones Affect Marriage?
To understand the connection between technology and relationship we need to understand the effect of technology on relationship. No doubt technological advancements have made life a lot comfortable. Staying in touch was never easier.
No matter where your loved ones are you can always connect with them. Photos, videos, messages and information can be shared instantly with just a few clicks or taps. With the ease of information sharing and staying connected on phone work can be done faster. But do we really need this level of technological advancement? How is technology effecting our relationships?
Texting’ Can Ruin Your Relationship?
When related to emergency situations this level of communication is a boon but not something always required by everyone. The intrusion of technology in personal lives is bringing about rifts in relationships and people are living isolated lives. There are quite a few problems it is creating leaving relationships at risk.
1. Misunderstanding: When we text a message we send letters and words. The real intention and the meaning are far away from those printed letters and this can often lead to misunderstandings. Everyone has a different way or reading a message and may derive a meaning totally different from the intended one. Besides, if you happen to insert punctuation by mistake it can lead to greater misunderstanding. This is how technology is destroying relationships.
2. Virtual worlds: Technology destroys relationship when you share space in virtual worlds. Living together in flesh and blood is very different from existing in each other’s virtual world. The virtual relationship does not have life in it and even if you are staying under the same roof you will not be living together. Virtual relationships cause adverse effects on human interactions and relationships.
3. No time together: The presence of a smartphone, television, laptop or tablet could all lead to create distances between people. There is no time spent together as all the time is devoted to these gadgets. Two people sharing a couch but busy on their own gadgets has become a common sight. Time spent with each other is considerably less because of technology and its ill-effects.
4. Living like strangers: When two people living in the same house spend time on individual gadgets they become strangers to each other. Each one’s gadget has another world in it. The online life takes up maximum time. The online friends and their lives take up so much time that family members become strangers.
5. More fights: Texting has become one of the preferred ways of communication. When texting the emotions do not come to the fore and a slight change of perception may trigger an argument. Also, in the heat of a moment it is easy to type a message and immediately send it across. What one does not realize then is that once sent the message cannot be recalled. It can be a cause of regret later on and differences may widen. More fights and altercations is how technology has effected us, instead of bringing us closer.
6. Loss of feelings: Talking to someone in person, holding hands, an eye contact, giving a hug, smiling on small jokes and sharing experiences are ways of expressing love and affection. All these things can never be possible when communicating via a device. There is no emotion and feeling in text message and these messages become nothing but news pieces.
7. Create distances: What happens when your life is taken over by a gadget? You share a house with your spouse or partner but live a different life. How technology destroys relationship is very evident here because technology makes every effort to create distances between people. Being locked in individual screens, chatting with friends, sharing posts on Facebook, commenting on Twitter, pinning posts and viewing videos is all that remains and the loving one sitting next to you is all forgotten.
8. Loss of intimacy: The phone and tablet has intruded our lives to such an extent that even the bedroom is not spared. It is almost like a third person sitting in between you. In fact there is the entire world in between a couple these days. So where do you get that intimacy. You hardly have time for a decent conversation.
Technology has its merits and demerits. When it comes to relationship there are multiple causes to discuss how technology destroys relationships. The key is to understand the boundaries of technological interference in our lives and use them to our advantage; not the other way round.
