Chantal Lopez, Emily Kwon

Ms. Storer

English 3H, Block 1

October 23, 2019

Editorial Challenge

From the beginning of human civilization, humans have been social animals wi

th a desire to form connections. Despite this essential need, humans have struggled t

o bond with others or escape from loneliness. There is no set of guidelines or specific

ways of building relationships with others. To make matters worse, distances betwee

n places have been a major barrier in contact among people of different nations or c

ontinents.With inadequate ability to communicate, humans could not interact with ot

hers to escape from solitude. However, technological advancements throughout the

course of history gave rise to different tools of communication, sharing of informatio

n, and social network service. People have more ability to connect with others with ac

cess to communicative devices. With rapid advances in technology today, people are

being brought together in an unparalleled pace.

 Loneliness has become a prevailing problem, especially with teenagers, due to

the fact of rising social isolation ideals surrounding our communal relationships. With

this is mind, technology offers the chance to provide repose to those who feel other

wise in solitude.

For example, music has become readily available with an incredible ease, allowing us

ers to listen to music that speaks specifically to them. With these songs, the listeners

feel as if they are not alone, as if they are not the only ones experiencing their woes o

r even happy moments, and find music a token to be able to share with. Their solitud

e in their issues dissipates.

Not only does technology provide the opportunity to find comfort through m

usic, social connections are made possible in various forms. According to the article “

Complete History of Social Media” by Drew Hendricks, humanity has overcome great

distances with the beginning of postal service, telegraphs, and pneumatic posts. The

discovery of telephone and radio in the early 1890s advanced communication by allo

wing instantaneous exchanges of information. In the 20th century, the first forms of t

he Internet and email developed, revolutionizing the networking technology. These vi

rtual services became the platforms of modern social networking services through w
hich people create profiles and post pictures, thereby sharing the daily aspects of the

ir lives and thoughts with everyone around the world. Today, it is hard to find a teena

ger without any social media account. According to a study by Our World in Data, 3.5

billion out of the 7.7 billion human population are online, meaning one-third of the

whole world is using some type of social network service. Such studies show how dee

ply social media has saturated into human society as an efficacious means of forming

new human connections and strengthening the old.

Some might argue that the use of social media can hinder traditional human i

nteractions and degrade mental health by lowering self-esteem. However, according

to David Ludden, a professor of psychology at Georgia Gwinnet College, we should b

e careful in making hasty decisions on the effects of social media as recent studies ha

ve shown otherwise. College seniors with more Facebook friends were proved to be

more socially adjusted on campus as they experienced an increased sense of connect

ion through an effective method of communication. In addition, social media could s

erve as a haven of connection for people suffering from social anxiety. With such ben

efits, it is not an exaggeration to say that technological advancements are the pillars

of human connections in the modern society.

 In the era of unprecedented technological advancements, it is hard to imagine

a world devoid of communication technologies. They pervade every aspects of our liv

es as we smile, laugh, cry, and suffer with others through a common platform of com

munication. Therefore, it is inevitable to acknowledge that technology is a necessary f

actor in developing and deepening human relationships.