Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has changed because of technology.

In what
ways has technology affected the types of relationships that people make? Has this been a positive or
negative development?

It is true that new technologies have had an influence on communication between people. Technology
has affected relationships in various ways, and in my opinion there are both positive and negative
effects.

Technology has had an impact on relationships in business, education and social life. Firstly, telephones
and the Internet allow business people in different countries to interact without ever meeting each
other. Secondly, services like Skype create new possibilities for relationships between students and
teachers. For example, a student can now take video lessons with a teacher in a different city or country.
Finally, many people use social networks, like Facebook, to make new friends and find people who share
common interests, and they interact through their computers rather than face to face.

On the one hand, these developments can be extremely positive. Cooperation between people in
different countries was much more difficult when communication was limited to written letters or
telegrams. Nowadays, interactions by email, phone or video are almost as good as face-to-face
meetings, and many of us benefit from these interactions, either in work or social contexts. On the other
hand, the availability of new communication technologies can also have the result of isolating people
and discouraging real interaction. For example, many young people choose to make friends online
rather than mixing with their peers in the real world, and these ‘virtual’ relationships are a poor
substitute for real friendships.

In conclusion, technology has certainly revolutionised communication between people, but not all of the
outcomes of this revolution have been positive.

Nowadays, the way many people interact with each other has changed because of
technology. In what ways has technology affected the type of relationships people make?
Has this become a positive or negative development?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or
experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Model Answer:
Since communication with others comprises a very essential aspect of our daily life, any
alteration in the way we communicate with each other will have a profound effect on our social
and professional life. This essay will first discuss how technology has influenced the way we
relate with each other presently and will then address the question of whether this influence has
been positive or negative.
There are several ways in which the new communication technology has influenced people’s way
of interaction with each other. Firstly, social media applications have revolutionized the way we
communicate. The reason why many people believe this is that nowadays, you can connect with
your family and friends instantly through many social media applications such as the Facebook
and twitter applications. It is also possible to say that people are now more encouraged to share
their opinions openly via the Internet. One good illustration for this is the substantial number of
friends that people who use social media applications have in their contact list.

However, the impact of social media in one’s social life may not always be positive. This is
because people are now increasingly abandoning face to face interactions and prefer carrying
out their communication behind closed doors. This is causing more people, especially youths, to
lose out on many aspects of personal communication. A particularly good example here is a
study conducted in the USA showing that more than 75% of high school students are spending
more than 50% of their free time on the Internet.

To sum up, modern technological advances in communication have incredibly influenced the
way people interact, and although there are many perks associated with the use of recent
technology there are also drawbacks that people must take care of.
It is evident that technology has transformed the ways of communication and influenced
relationships in a variety of ways. In my opinion, there are both positive and negative effects of
this.

The principal way in which relationships have been affected is that they tend to be at a distance
rather than face-to-face. The advent of the internet has made it easy for business owners to
communicate across the world, with remote job opportunities one call away. Online educational
programs are available for people residing in different countries, and it is no longer a dream to
attend live classes from the comfortable environment of a home. Not only this, the social
platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have revolutionized relationships, be it making
online friendships with people from other countries or staying in touch with loved ones. Based
on this perspective, technology has influenced relationships in a positive way.

However, despite these advances, the quality of interaction has significantly declined in several
respects. If people are developing most of their relationships online, this means that they may
also have less fact-to-face contact. This kind of contact on a personal level is important for
human beings to feel wanted and a part of society. This may be a particular problem for
children's social development as they used to be seen playing out on the streets but are now
too often indoors. Technology can also mean people are detached from what is going on around
them even when they are out, as can be seen by the many people staring into their mobile
phones as they travel or walk around.

In conclusion, technology has brought some positive development in the ways people interact
with each other. However, there are also some negative impacts of technology on the types of
relationships people make.