Generation X was the first generation to experience technology as it came to the forefront of use and practicality over the past just-over-a-decade. Generations Y and Z therefore have subsequently become more and more heavily reliant on these technologies (read: computers and social media), however, having said that, technologically-savvy teens and people in their twenties is not necessarily a bad thing. No doubt the worlds of marketing, information technology, communications and socialisation will benefit greatly from having masses of people who're somewhat experts on their methods of functioning in the technological world.
It again brings to mind the future possibilities of technology and the power and potential it will wield.
However, despite all good things encompassed by technology, web 2.0, the future semantic web and the benfits certain industries will gain from technology and its constant stream of improvements, it has removed one thing that, as I mentioned before, is integral to human functioning - physical interaction.
These generations that grow-up using technology as a primary means of mass communication with many individuals - the 'digital natives' - as they're supposedly called, have been shown to have suffered a decline in their capacity to speak socially, conduct themselves appropriately in the public sphere and even perform general handwriting tasks.
Recent studies from the Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, America found that "Internet use leads to small but statistically significant increases in misery and loneliness and a decline in overall psychological well-being (American Psychological Association, 1998)" (Affonso, 1999).
The study named HomeNet studied 169 students in their first two years online, and the data collected displayed greater feelings of loneliness and depression, reports of losing contact with friends and reports of spending less time with family and conducting general social interactions.
Naturally, such evidence would vary greatly from individual-to-individual, but it does not surprise me.
With more and more people in younger generations spending increasingly more and more time on internet chat rooms, blogs, vlogs, pod casting sites and programs, social networking sites, etc. social skills are sure to hit the decline.
Yes, while it is ironic I write of the decline of social interaction on my own blog, as a blogger and as a member of the beginning of the 'digital native' era, I still remain adamant that social skills in my age bracket are in a slow decline. I know the number of SMS messages on my mobile I receive a day, topped with e-mails and Instant Messages (IM) on my computer, the old-school skill of holding a phone conversation for longer than two minutes - a topic for another conversation, I'm sure - is increasingly becoming non-existent.
I know I'd rather have my friends pop-in that 'pop-up' any day.
*Affonso,B. 1999, Is the internet Affecting the social skills of our children? Available at: http://www.sierrasource.com/cep612/internet.html. [Accessed on: 27.3.2010].
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