DECLINE OF COMMUNICATION DUE TO TECHNOLOGY IN

PAKISTAN FROM 2000 TO 2018

SUBMITTED TO :

SUBMITTED BY:
ABSTRACT:

The Introduction of the Internet appeared to have changed the process of

communication from interpersonal to computer mediated communication.
This study examined the Impact of Internet on face-to-face communication .

The objectives include: to examine the relationship between Internet Use

and Teenager’s face-to –face communication, to find out whether internet
usage is weakening their desire for face-to-face communication.

The study found out that the use of internet have some impact on face-to –
face communication between teenager’s and their friends and also appears to
weaken the ties that bind them with family and friends.

The study concludes that Internet use by the teenagers has reduced the time
they spend engaging in face-to-face communication with their friends and
family memebers because of the time spent on the internet.
Introduction:

The advent of Internet has significantly influenced the process of

communication,especially as it relates to Interpersonal (face-to-face)
communication (2000 to 2018). Computer mediated communication now
dominates the global communication process.

Person-to-person communication has turned out to be the primary use of

computer networks and has transformed them into a social space where
people connect with one another.

A more alarming possibility is of Studies in Social Sciences that youths

avoid spending time with their parents and instead prefer to surf the internet.

Youths within the same location or the same apartment a times prefer to
communicate with one another through e-mail instead of meeting one
another face- to- face. It is true that the internet has become a powerful
medium of communication.Today’s technology has simplified the means of
communication.

The advent of Internet has significantly influenced the process of

communication, especially as it relates to Interpersonal (face-to-face)
communication.

Computer mediated communication now dominates the global

communication process. Person-to-person communication has turned out to
be the primary use of computer networks and has transformed them into a
social space where people connect with one another
Little by little, technology has become an integral part of the way that people
communicate with one another and has increasingly taken the place of face-
to-face communication.

Due to the rapid expansion of technology, many individuals fear that people
may be too immersed in this digital world and not present enough in the real
world. In reaction to the overwhelming replacement of face time with screen
time, a family decided to implement an Internet users each weekend in
which no video games, computers or smart phones can be used. The father,
Powers, expressed the difficulty of the weekly detox stating, “It almost had
an existential feeling of, ‘I don’t know who I am with the Internet gone.’ But
after a few months it hardened into a habit and we all began to realize we
were gaining a lot from it” (Lahore, 2013). Many others have expressed
shared concerns regarding the overuse of technology and its impact on face-
to-face communication, so much so that some Pakistan restaurants have
banned the use of mobile devices to ensure customers enjoy both their meal
and their company.

Throughout this study, the author sought to answer questions regarding

technology usage and investigated whether technology affects face-to- face
communication negatively.

This is significant for friends, partners, potential employers, and other

recurring people that make up your everyday world. That person becomes an
important existing human connection, not just someone whose body text
voice pops up on your cell phone, iPad or computer screen.

As humans our want to be social and to communicate is a part of us. The

sharing of ideas has been with us since even before we were able to speak. I
would even argue that this internal desire is the reason our species has done
so well together.

But of recent years I have watched the decline of language and

communication as we humans twist our thinking to match the capabilities of
machines.

Two-way process of reaching mutual understanding, in which participants

not only exchange encode,decode information, news, ideas and feelings but
also create and share meaning. In general, communication is a means of
connecting people or places. In business, it is a key function of
management,organization cannot operate without communication.

Technology is a body of knowledge devoted to creating tools, processing

actions and extracting of materials. The term ‘Technology” is wide and
everyone has their own way of understanding the meaning of technology.
We use technology to accomplish various tasks in our daily lives, in brief;
we can describe technology as products, processes or organizations. We use
technology to extend our abilities, and that makes people as the most
important part of any technological system.

As early as in the 70s scientists and researchers had significant facts on how
technology is affecting communication. Most of the social science
researchers conducted their tests on families in relation to television sets.

It was found that families that dined together had significant good
communication skills.

With the rapid innovation and advancement in technology and emergence of

mobile phones as the main source of communication interpersonal and
communication skills have deteriorated (Pakistan, 2016). The use of mobile
phones continues to be a constant factor leading to distraction,
dehumanization, and denationalization. Humans have continued to retreat
into isolation possibly because they are accompanied with their mobile
phones and other communication gadgets.

Due to mobile phone communications members of the society who are

socially shy and unskilled tend to hide behind the social media making it
impossible for them to develop social and interpersonal skills.

Human beings are naturally social beings and have neural senses that are
supposed to detect these cues. It therefore means that if the cues are not learn
they fail to become part of our communication argues the research. Face to
face communication is therefore encouraged because even with the presence
of an individual who it text and talking at the same time the cues are
considerably not being noticed.

Even as communication through the mobile phones take the center stage of
modern ways of communication scientists and parents are worried on the
type of communication and language used by the youths.
In most cases emotions on the mobile phones will be through and the words
will either be misspelled or even shortened.

This form of communication has affected the literacy skills among the teen
children a research revealed.

It has been affected since most of the teens spend a lot of their time typing
on their phones or computers (2010).

Besides the grammar and poor literacy skills most of the mobile phone users
are exposed to risks such as bullying and text of sexually explicit messages
and photographs.

Step by step technology has become an integral part of communication,

replacing the need of interacting directly with each other. The flip side is it
has reduced the direct communication between humans and increased screen
time communication. Here, we have researched and
Analyses few studies conducted on the impact of new technology on society
in comparison with direct and screen time communication.

It is also interesting to note that teenagers have also resorted to use social
media as a means of sharing some of their problem in form of counselling.
Most of the teenager’s despise use of counselling facilities at the community
level, school, and even in hospitals and have chosen online
counselling due to time, privacy, and environmental factors. The main
reason for this is the ease of access. In a research conducted in Pakistan in
2004, it was found that most of the teenagers engaged in social interaction
counselling due to various factors. In this research, a number of 39 teenage
students were interviewed regarding the reason as to why they engaged in
online counselling (2006).

They pointed out peaceful environment, privacy, and time factors as to

reason why the opted for online counselling rather than face-to-face or
telephone calls.
However, the big question is whether these online counselling programs are
much helpful compared to the other normal counselling sessions.

In most cases the psychologists involved in the counselling therapy sessions

will use some of the interpersonal communication cues to
understand the patient and encourage them to explain their challenges.

However, through online counselling such communication cues are absent

and there is a danger false interpretation.

There are high risks and chances that somebody might come across the
conversation with the counsellor on the computers or on the phones.
Anonymity is a problem that is affecting online counselling.

LITERATURE VIEW:

Before analyzing the effect of technology on face-to-face communication, it

is important to understand the rapid growth of various technologies and their
current usage throughout the Pakistan. Over the past few decades,
technology usage has grown significantly. Per the PK, 76% of households
reported having a computer in 2011, compared with only 8% in 1984 (2012).
Of that number, 72% of households reported accessing the Internet, up from
just 18% in 1998, the first year the Census asked about Internet use (2012).
As of 2013, 90% of Pakistani adults had a cell phone of some kind, and for
people under the age of 44, the number was closer to 97% ( 2016). The
drastic increase in technology usage is especially noticeable in younger
generations. One study, conducted by the Family Foundation, found people
ages 8 to 18 spent more time on media than on any other activity at an
average of 7.5 hours a day.

Many studies have been conducted regarding technology’s effect on social

interaction and face-to- face communication since the rise of cellphone and
social media usage in the late 2000s. As University of Essex wrote in 2013,
“Recent advancements in communication technology have enabled billions
of people to connect more easily with people great distances away, yet little
has been known about how the frequent presence of these devices in social
settings influences face-to-face interactions (2012).
One study examined the relationship between the presence of mobile devices
and the quality of real- life, in-person social interactions. In a naturalistic
field experiment, researchers found that conversations in the absence of
mobile communication technologies were rated as significantly superior
compared with those in the presence of a mobile device (2014).

People who had conversations in the absence of mobile devices reported

higher levels of empathetic concern, while those conversing in the presence
of a mobile device reported lower levels of empathy (2014). In another
study, and (2012) showed similar results that proved the presence of mobile
communication devices in social settings interferes with human
relationships. In two separate experiments, the authors found evidence that
these devices have negative effects on closeness, connection, and
conversation quality, especially notable when individuals are engaging in
personally meaningful topics.

One study found that cell phone use in public might make individuals more
likely to communicate with strangers. In 2011, examined whether and how
mobile communication influences the extent to which one engages face to
face with new people in public settings. By accounting for different types of
cell phone uses, the study found evidence that mobile phone use in public
actually facilitated talking with strangers, for those who frequently rely on
cell phones to get and exchange information about news. (2005) analyzed
the effects of technology among “current cyber-youth”

Those who have grown up with the Internet as an important part of their
everyday life and interaction rituals. The two authors discovered that due to
the pervasive use of the Internet in education, communication and
entertainment, there has been a significant decrease in face-to-face
interaction among youth. They suggest that the decrease in the amount of
time youth spend interacting face-to-face may eventually have “significant
consequences for their development of social skills and their presentation of
self.

Many other authors have focused specifically on technology’s effect on

personal relationships. In Alone Together: Why We Expect More from
Technology and Less From Each Other (2012) examined the effects of
technology on familial relationships. After interviewing more than 300
young people and 150 adults, It has found that children were often times the
ones complaining about their parents obsession with technology.

It has discovered that many children believed their parents paid less attention
to them than to their smartphones, often times neglecting to interact with
them face to face until they had finished responding to emails. Contrary to
many researchers beliefs that technology impacts face-to-face
communication negatively, principal researcher at Microsoft Research, does
not share these concerns. Some people believes that research suggests digital
communications enhance relationships and that “the evidence consistently
shows that the more you communicate with people using devices, the more
likely you are to communicate with those people face to face(2013).

Technology, destroying the sense of interactions we have with others,

disconnecting us from the people around us.

Instead of spending time in person with family and friends, we just call, text
or instant message them. It may seem simpler, but we ultimately end up
seeing our friends face to face a lot less. Ton’s of texts can’t replace an hour
spent chatting with a friend over lunch. And a smiley-face emoticon is cute,
but it could never replace the joy of listening or talking with your best friend
in real time.

Before analyzing the effect of technology on face-to-face communication, it

is important to understand the rapid growth of various technologies and their
current usage throughout India, below table clearly illustrates the rise of
mobile phone users (In Millions), which is self- explanatory.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

The survey to measure the level of engagement students have with their cell
phones, other technologies, and each other in face-to-face situations.

The survey with LGU students who were recruited using a non-probability
sample via Facebook and email. Students were asked 11 questions regarding
their technology use, habits, perceptions of face-to-face communication in
the presence of technology, and engagement both face to face and screen to
screen, which would help better answer the question of whether technology
has a negative effect on face-to-face communication.

The survey resulted in 100 responses. Based on the survey findings, field
observations were conducted at four highly populated areas on campus,
including dining halls. Observations were conducted during heavy foot-
traffic times, including in- between classes and during lunch hours, when
students would most likely be present and interacting with others. A variety
of different interactions between other students and technology were
recorded, including those text talking on the phone, those interacting with
others, and those who did not have contact with devices.

Researchers are also finding it difficult to explain whether the longer time
spent on the social media and text is making children to be highly connected
and supportive to their friends.

Researchers are also trying to find out if the level of intimacy and emotions
remain the same in relation to the time spent on social media platforms.

However, more research is required about how the social media platforms
affects the emotions and feelings of the children. However, Lori Evans a
psychology professor at the University Child Study Centre argues that close
childhood relationships are very important because they will eventually help
the child to develop and build their trust on people outside the family.

This phenomenon is believed to be very important in building up healthy

adult relationships. It therefore pose a lot of dangers for children
who are constantly exposed mobile phones and social media as this may
affect their social and interpersonal adult relationships the researcher argues.

The good and close relationships should therefore not be allowed to wilt
away because they assist children in playing, expression their
emotions and supporting their adult behaviour.
The use of mobile phones is therefore downplaying the youth’s ability to
develop a sense of empathy, read social cues like the facial expression and
body language in addition to understanding of emotional nuances.

The danger is that children technical skills and obsessions tend to grow
rapidly at lower ages and since most of them have been allowed to play with
laptops and other electronic gadgets it is feared that their interpersonal skills
are likely to fade away completely with time the research .

DATA ANALYSIS:

The entire questionnaire (132) administered were retrieved and used for
analysis. This was partly because the teachers spoke to the students and
explain the questions to them before administration.

Demographic Characteristics of Respondents of Government

Comprehensive

LAHORE GARRISON UNIVERSITY:

Response Frequency Percentage
Male 57 43%
Female 75 57%

The table above shows that, 22(44%) were male while 28(56%) were
female. Therefore the sample contains more female than male. The sample
though randomly selected confirmed the fact that the population has more
females than male students.
Age Frequency Percentage:

13-15 23 17.4%
16-18 109 82.5%
The table above shows that 23(17%) are between the age of 13 and 15years,
while a total of 109(83%) are between the ages of 16 and 18 years. Thus
more than half of the sample is between the age bracket of between 16 and
18.
Response Frequency Percentage
Yes 132 100%
No 0 %

From the table above, all the respondents who were purposely sampled
indicated that they all have access to the Internet.

All of them have access to the internet facilities owned by the College of
Education, (The parent institution), besides some of them have the facilities
at home while others browse using their mobile phones.

Response Frequency Percentage

Less than one year 43 33%
More than one year 89 67%

From the table above, a total of 43(33%) indicated that they have been using
the Internet for less than one year while 89(67%) of the entire respondents
have been using the Internet for more than one year.

Time spend on the Internet

Response Frequency Percentage
2hours a day 25 19%
3 hours a day 10 8%
3 to 5 hours a day 70 53%
More than 5 hours a day 27 20%
Total 132 100%
From the table above, the entire respondent enjoy spending more time on the
Internet than they do engaging in interpersonal communication. That is to
say that the more the time they spend on the Internet the less time they have
for other things. This finding is supported by the opinion expressed by
UCLA Centre for Communication Policy (2003).
that a more alarming possibility is that teenagers now enjoy to spend more of
their time on the Internet.

Response Frequency Percentage:

Send or read e mail 16 12%
Send instant messages 18 13.6%
Play game or down loading items 14 10.6%
Chatting with friends 74 56%
Seeking for information 10 7.5%
From the table above, it is obvious that greater percentage of the teenagers
spent most of their time on the Internet chatting with friends. A total of
30(60%) affirmed this. One can therefore remark that spending much of their
time on the Internet charting with
friends will impact negatively on their face-to-face interaction with parents
and other members of their family as rightly observed by Shim (2007).The
teenagers he noted prefer to spend much of their time chatting on the
Internet with friends.

Frequency of Online presence

Response Frequency Percentage:

Several times a day 77 58%

Once a day 29 22%
3-5 days a week 05 4%
1-2 days a week 12 9%
Less often 09 7%

2013 to 2017:

From the table above, 77(53%) of the entire respondent reported that they go
on line several times a day, 29(22%) go online about once a day while 5(4%)
percent go on line 3-5 times a week, 4(2%) 1-2 days a week, 9(56%) less
often.

This shows that teenagers spent much of their times daily on the internet
chatting with friends online, thus having less time to engage in interpersonal
communication with their family members which seem to weakened the
bond and ties existing between them and members of their family.

RESPONSE FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE:

Yes 87 66%
No 45 34%
Total 132 100%
From the table, 87(66%) of the respondents are of the opinion that the
internet affects the level of face-to-face interaction with friends, while
45(34%) believe that it does not in any way affect their interaction with
friends.
The respondents who said it affects the way they interact with their friends
hinge it on the excuse that they spend most of their time online and even
when with friends they are either chatting or watching movies and playing
games online. The respondents who believe it does affect their face-to-face
communication said they have created time for both.
They noted that they know when to get online and when to communicate
interpersonally with their parents and friends.
Has the Use of Internet decreased your desire for face-to-face
communication with your family?

RESPONSE FREQUENCY PERCENTAGE:

Yes 107 81%

No 25 19%

The findings on the table above indicates that majority of the respondents
agree that the internet has decreased their desire for face-to-face
communication with their family.

This is owing to the fact that they spend most of their time on the internet.
This so because many have access to the internet on their mobile phones and
are therefore excited at the opportunity to interact more with people outside
their immediate environment.

The opportunity to talk more with family and friend face-to-face is therefore
limited especially if we consider the fact the location of the study area is in
rural setting where interpersonal interaction is dominant.
FINDINGS:

All 100 respondents owned a smartphone or tablet. When asked how

frequently students use their cell phones, 60% of respondents said they use
their phone more than 4 hours a day, with 18% of respondents admitting to
more than 8 hours of usage a day. Almost all students (97%) bring their cell
phones or tablets with them every time they leave the house and only one
respondent said they rarely do. Some students (18%) reported that when
spending time with friends or family, they always use their cell phone or
tablet. The majority of students use their cell phone sometimes when they
are with family or friends (74%), and only 8% of students rarely use their
phone in the presence of friends and family. No respondents indicated that
they never use their cell phone or tablet when spending time with friends or
family. Additionally, 46 percent of respondents said they communicate with
friends or family more frequently via technology than in person, while 26%
said the opposite. Field observations yielded similar results regarding
technology use and habits among students. Of more than 200 students
observed, 69% were using technology in one way or another. The author
found that 78 of 134 students observed alone (58%) were either texting or
holding their phones, 21 (16%) were talking on the phone or wearing ear
buds, and only 35 students (26%) were not using any technology. The author
found it important to observe students technology use and habits while with
others as well. The author found that 38 of 100 students (38%) while with
others used no technology; 62% were either texting, talking on the phone, or
using a computer or tablet. In an effort to determine what impacts
technology has on face-to-face communication, the survey asked students to
rank the statement on a scale from strongly agree to strongly disagree: “It
bothers me when my friends or family use technology while spending time
with me.” Seventy-four percent of respondents said that they either agreed or
strongly agreed with this statement, while only 6% disagreed. Among
respondents, 20% neither agreed nor disagreed. Another survey question
asked students whether they believed the presence of technology, while
The Undergraduate Research in Communications, spending time with others,
affects face-to-face interpersonal communication negatively. An
overwhelming 92% of respondents believed technology negatively affects
face-to-face communication, and only 1% did not. Only 7% of respondents
neither agreed nor disagreed. A third question regarding the impacts of
technology on face-to-face communication asked students whether they
noticed quality degradation in conversation amongst the presence of
technology.
Eighty-nine percent of respondents believed there was a degradation, only
5% disagreed, and 6% neither agreed nor disagreed. While conducting field
observations, similar results found evident degradation in the quality of
conversation among those students using technology in the presence of
others. One student, observed outside a campus building, was Face Timing
an individual on her iPhone. When a friend proceeded to join her in per- son,
the female ignored her friend and continued her conversation on Face Time.
Many students at Lakeside Dining Hall ate lunch with their friends, but
neglected to engage in any conversation. Instead, a large majority of the
students in the dining hall sitting with others (73%) spent their time texting
or using their computers or tablets. When asked for additional feedback
regarding technology use and face-to-face communication, students
provided a number of insightful responses. One student said, “I don’t like
using my phone when I’m with friends in person, and I don’t like it when
they use theirs, but if it is used in a way to stimulate conversation – like
showing a funny video, or documenting our time together via Snap chat or
photos – then I think it is acceptable.” Another student agreed, mentioning
that whether technology affects face-to-face communication positively or
negatively depends on how it is used. A third student shared similar opinions
stating, “I don’t mind if it’s used to enhance a conversation (looking up
important information or things relevant to a conversation); otherwise, it
typically takes away from the experience in general as you can tell the other
person(s) attention is divided and unfocused on the present moment.” Many
respondents voiced their concerns that technology is diminishing society’s
ability to communicate face to face. One student stated, “People have lost
the ability to communicate with each other in face-to- face interactions,”
while another respondent said, “Technology is making face-to-face
communication much more difficult because people use technology as a
crutch to hide behind.” A third student responded, “I think technology
impedes our ability to interact with people face to face,” and a fourth agreed
that technology “both enhances what we share online and decreases what we
say face to face.” Other students shared sentiments that using technology to
communicate is acceptable, but when used in the presence of others is
disrespectful. One student responded, “I think putting away phones and
technology is a sign of respect when having a conversation with someone
and shows that you have their full attention. Even though it’s sometimes
hard to have those times when people are not attached to their phones, I
think it is more important than ever.” Many students mentioned that while
spending time with friends or family, they have to make a conscious effort
not to use technology.

One respondent said, “At dinners with my friends, we do a cell phone tower
and the first to touch the tower has to pay.” It appears that despite being
aware of their own behaviors and habits regarding technology, the majority
of students agree that face-to-face communication and the quality of
conversations are negatively impacted by technology.

All 40 respondents owned a smartphone or tablet. When asked how

frequently students use their phones, 70% of respondents said they use their
phone more than 6 hours a day, with 30% of respondents stating to more
than 8 hours of usage a day. Almost all students (99%) bring their cell
phones or tablets with them every time they leave the house and only one
respondent said they rarely do. Some students (28%) reported that when
spending time with friends or family, they always use their cell phone or
tablet.

The majority of students use their cell phone sometimes when they are with
family or friends (64%), and only 8% of students rarely use their phone in
the presence of friends and family.

No respondents indicated that they never use their cell phone or tablet when
spending time with friends or family. Additionally, 92% of respondents said
they communicate with friends or family more frequently via technology
than in person, while 8% said the opposite. Field observations yielded
similar results regarding technology use and habits among students. Of more
than 200 students observed, 69% were using technology in one way or
another. We author found that 54 of 100 students observed alone (54%) were
either texting or holding their phones, 36(36%) were talking on the phone or
wearing ear buds, and only 10 students (10%) were not using any
technology.

CONCLUSION:

Field observations, a survey of 100 students, and an analysis of previously

conducted studies provided evidence that the rapid expansion of technology
is negatively affecting face-to-face communication. People are becoming
more reliant on communicating with friends and family through technology
and are neglecting to engage personally, uninhibited by phones and devices,
even when actually in the presence of others. A majority of individuals felt
the quality of their conversations degraded in the presence of technology,
and many individuals were bothered when friends or family used technology
while spending time together. Additionally, nearly half of survey respondents
(46%) communicate more frequently with friends and family via technology
than in person, indicating strongly that face-to-face interactions have
decreased both in quality and in quantity. Only time will tell what the long-
term impacts of this radical shift in communication methods will yield. Will
employees be less able to communicate with their employers and, therefore,
less able to succeed in the Or will the new skills developed through hours of
cell phone use and texting result in a workforce that is more nimble and
more qualified to multitasking ? He is unable to communicate face to face
with their children, or will the new tools available to them bring their
families closer together? Will the new technologies bring us closer together
as a community, or result in fewer actual friends and a life that is more
isolated and less fulfilling? With technology advancing at the speed of light
and human interaction changing just as quickly, it may be impossible to
predict the results. However, everyone should be aware that human
interaction as was once known may have already changed forever.

Whether or not people want to accept it, social media has several severe
negative impacts on their daily lives. Despite some of its vast benefits, they
as a culture have to limit their use of social media to a manageable amount.
Social media needs to be recognized as a tool to be utilized to a certain
extent and not let it take over their lives like it seems to be heading towards
every day. Websites such as Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest are very helpful
to provide news, gossip, and to keep in contact with friends and family, but
people cannot afford to let them become the focal point of their life. People
have to, culturally, decide how to manage how this information that is fed to
them in order to try and curb the side effects which have been getting.
Websites that cause depression and anxiety should not be tolerated by elder
members in today’s social order to any extent.
There is little to the argument that new information and communication
technologies decrease participation in traditional, local social settings
associated with having a diverse social network. When we look beyond
people’s core network, to their full network of relations, we find that most
uses of the internet and mobile phone have a positive relationship to
neighborhood networks, voluntary associations, and use of public spaces.
There is some evidence that very specific internet activities, such as use of
social networking services (e.g, Facebook, MySpace, Linked In), substitutes
for some neighborhood involvement – the internet allows people to obtain
traditional forms of neighborhood support from a social circle that extends
outside of their neighborhood. Yet, internet users continue to give support to
their neighbors, and the level of face-to-face contact with neighbors is the
same for internet users as it is for non-users. In addition, many internet users
take advantage of the additional communication channel that email affords
for local contact.

It can be evidently concluded that technology is quickly wiping out

interpersonal communication skills. That is because face to face contact is
reduced. Amongst some of the most negative effects include the poor
development of literacy and communication skills in form of handwriting
and communication. Others include failure to understanding of
communication cues such as body language, emotions, and social skills. In
children it may lead to loss of trust in later adult years.

Electrical communication using mobile phones have also been found to be

having advantages of bringing many people together on a social platform. In
addition, people through the mobile phones
are able to learn from each other.

In our view, technology is a double edge sword where we can use it for
connecting people and communicate with them freely whenever need be, but
not at the cost of realationships amoung the close quarters of family and
friends.

Today, we are texting or chatting virtually with people who are not with us
and ignoring the people around us and loosing an opportunity connect with
real people.

Technology, if used in a measured way will have a positive effect in

connecting both real and virtual people in the world.

History, stands witness that anything used wisely will have a positive impact
on the overall development of society. Hence, my submission would be to
make use of technology wisely to connect with people rather that
disconnecting. After all, it is our choice to use technology as blessing or
curse.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

Here are some ways to overcome decline of communication caused by

technological innovation.

We should not just use one medium for every type of conversation. For
example, it would be more appropriate to send your colleague an office
document via email instead of as an attachment on Facebook.

Avoid Use of Slang or Shorter Sentences of Words:

Everyone is not familiar with the slang words, shorter sentences or self-
made acronyms. Therefore, avoid using them wherever possible. The use of
meaningless words and sentences adds to decline of communication.

Understand Cultural Contexts:

If you are communicating with a person of another region, understand their

culture.

The decline of communication quality can stem from ignoring about cultural
values. For example, some cultures praise individual efforts while in others,
people appreciate team effort.

LEARN A FEW PHRASES FROM OTHER LANGUAGE:

There is no harm in learning a few phrases with their meaning from another
language. Always make sure to use them in the right context.

REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY:

https://www.tutorialpoint.com

https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com

http://www.studypoint.com/

http://www.nytimes.com/

http://www.w3school.com/