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Seven Reasons Technology Might Be Hurting us

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Seven Reasons Technology Might Be Hurting us

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Lack of effort in emails and things

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Email, Skype, Slack, Yammer - with so many "convenient" ways to communicate, it can be easy for leaders to actually forget how to communicate effectively.

Of course, communication technology has huge benefits in organizations too. It doesn't significantly interrupt workflow, allows more time to convey responses, and provides a way to refer back to conversations if you've forgotten something. However, leaders must be careful about relying too heavily on technology to communicate with their teams. Below, Forbes CoachesCouncil members explain its potential negative impact:
1. Lack Of Engagement

Unfortunately, many senior leaders measure communication by the number of outputs made vs. how well managers and employees understand what is being said. Missing tone, opportunities for questions and body language leaves many employees not understanding the value of what's said. The result is that they feel talked to vs. engaged with. - Debora McLaughlin, The Renegade Leader Coaching& Consulting Group
2. Not Feeling Heard

A key risk with technology is using it as a buffer between you and your people. An underrated aspect of leadership communications is making people feel heard. The questions to ask are: Am I creating enough opportunities for my team to share input and feedback? Does my team feel safe expressing dissent and discontent, asking for what they need, taking risks, making mistakes? If so, you're A-OK. - Taylor Jacobson, FocusMate
3. Transmitting Instead Of Connecting

Communication has many purposes. One is simply conveying information. Another is developing a relationship by creating an emotional connection. Be clear on which is appropriate for the situation. Creating connection is important, even with jobs where the transmission of information is most of the work. Employee engagement is driven by manager-employee connection. Remember to connect meaningfully. - Larry Boyer, Success Rockets LLC
4. Misunderstandings

Too many times I see leaders trying to have all communication over email, texting or messaging. While it is great for a quick update or check-in, or even to just share some information, it is not a place for emotional conversations. A leader can cause confusion, escalate conflicts, or erode trust, all because people misunderstand the message he or she was trying to convey. - Emilie Shoop, Shoop Training & Consulting
5. Decreased Effort

Technology has made it very easy to not have personal relationships with our workers. Send a text, email or memo all through technology and keep moving. But where is the connection that allows your team to appreciate the value of being on a real team? Why put so much effort in if your leader is only going to look at the end result? Your team still needs to have that face to face time now and then. - TaCreacia Blunt, Beauty and Beast Mode University
6. Lack Of Meaning

Leaders often rely too heavily on technology for communication. Email seems impersonal, making employees feel disconnected. While it's easier and faster than having a conversation, people don't want more communication; they want meaningful communication. Connection builds trusting relationships and drives engagement and performance to create employees who are more motivated, productive and loyal. - Jen Roberts, Difference Consulting
7. Limited Spontaneity
According to MIT social psychologist Sherry Turkle, younger people are so used to text-based conversations, where they have time to plan what they are going to say, that they are losing their ability to have spontaneous conversation. I believe face-to-face conversation is critical to an organization's success. Not everything should be a text or email. - Barbara Safani, Career Solvers

Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only, fee-based organization comprised of leading business coaches and career coaches. Find out if you qualify at forbescoachescouncil.com/qualify.

©2018 Forbes Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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Seven Reasons Technology Might Be Hurting The Way You Communicate With Your Team

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Pew Research Center: Internet, Science & Tech

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YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular online platforms among teens. Fully 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% say they are online 'almost constantly'

Until recently, Facebook had dominated the social media landscape among America's youth - but it is no longer the most popular online platform among teens, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. Today, roughly half (51%) of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 say they use Facebook, notably lower than the shares who use YouTube, Instagram or Snapchat.

This shift in teens' social media use is just one example of how the technology landscape for young people has evolved since the Center's last survey of teens and technology use in 2014-2015. Most notably, smartphone ownership has become a nearly ubiquitous element of teen life: 95% of teens now report they have a smartphone or access to one. These mobile connections are in turn fueling more-persistent online activities: 45% of teens now say they are online on a near-constant basis.

The survey also finds there is no clear consensus among teens about the effect that social media has on the lives of young people today. Minorities of teens describe that effect as mostly positive (31%) or mostly negative (24%), but the largest share (45%) says that effect has been neither positive nor negative.

These are some of the main findings from the Center's survey of U.S. teens conducted March 7-April 10, 2018. Throughout the report, "teens" refers to those ages 13 to 17.

Facebook is no longer the dominant online platform among teens

The social media landscape in which teens reside looks markedly different than it did as recently as three years ago. In the Center's 2014-2015 survey of teen social media use, 71% of teens reported being Facebook users. No other platform was used by a clear majority of teens at the time: Around half (52%) of teens said they used Instagram, while 41% reported using Snapchat.

In 2018, three online platforms other than Facebook - YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat - are used by sizable majorities of this age group. Meanwhile, 51% of teens now say they use Facebook. The shares of teens who use Twitter and Tumblr are largely comparable to the shares who did so in the 2014-2015 survey.

For the most part, teens tend to use similar platforms regardless of their demographic characteristics, but there are exceptions. Notably, lower-income teens are more likely to gravitate toward Facebook than those from higher-income households - a trend consistent with previous Center surveys. Seven-in-ten teens living in households earning less than $30,000 a year say they use Facebook, compared with 36% whose annual family income is $75,000 or more. (For details on social media platform use by different demographic groups, see Appendix A.)

It is important to note there were some changes in question wording between Pew Research Center's 2014-2015 and 2018 surveys of teen social media use. YouTube and Reddit were not included as options in the 2014-2015 survey but were included in the current survey. In addition, the 2014-2015 survey required respondents to provide an explicit response for whether or not they used each platform, while the 2018 survey presented respondents with a list of sites and allowed them to select the ones they use. Even so, it is clear the social media environment today revolves less around a single platform than it did three years ago.

When it comes to which one of these online platforms teens use the most, roughly one-third say they visit Snapchat (35%) or YouTube (32%) most often, while 15% say the same of Instagram. By comparison, 10% of teens say Facebook is their most-used online platform, and even fewer cite Twitter, Reddit or Tumblr as the site they visit most often.

Again, lower-income teens are far more likely than those from higher income households to say Facebook is the online platform they use most often (22% vs. 4%). There are also some differences related to gender and to race and ethnicity when it comes to teens' most-used sites. Girls are more likely than boys to say Snapchat is the site they use most often (42% vs. 29%), while boys are more inclined than girls to identify YouTube as their go-to platform (39% vs. 25%). Additionally, white teens (41%) are more likely than Hispanic (29%) or black (23%) teens to say Snapchat is the online platform they use most often, while black teens are more likely than whites to identify Facebook as their most used site (26% vs. 7%).

Teens have mixed views on the impact of social media on their lives

Despite the nearly ubiquitous presence of social media in their lives, there is no clear consensus among teens about these platforms' ultimate impact on people their age. A plurality of teens (45%) believe social media has a neither positive nor negative effect on people their age. Meanwhile, roughly three-in-ten teens (31%) say social media has had a mostly positive impact, while 24% describe its effect as mostly negative.

Given the opportunity to explain their views in their own words, teens who say social media has had a mostly positive effect tended to stress issues related to connectivity and connection with others. Some 40% of these respondents said that social media has had a positive impact because it helps them keep in touch and interact with others. Many of these responses emphasize how social media has made it easier to communicate with family and friends and to connect with new people:

"I think social media have a positive effect because it lets you talk to family members far away." (Girl, age 14)

"I feel that social media can make people my age feel less lonely or alone. It creates a space where you can interact with people." (Girl, age 15)

"It enables people to connect with friends easily and be able to make new friends as well." (Boy, age 15)

Others in this group cite the greater access to news and information that social media facilitates (16%), or being able to connect with people who share similar interests (15%):

"My mom had to get a ride to the library to get what I have in my hand all the time. She reminds me of that a lot." (Girl, age 14)

"It has given many kids my age an outlet to express their opinions and emotions, and connect with people who feel the same way." (Girl, age 15)

Smaller shares argue that social media is a good venue for entertainment (9%), that it offers a space for self-expression (7%) or that it allows teens to get support from others (5%) or to learn new things in general (4%).

"Because a lot of things created or made can spread joy." (Boy, age 17)

"[Social media] allows us to communicate freely and see what everyone else is doing. [It] gives us a voice that can reach many people." (Boy, age 15)

"We can connect easier with people from different places and we are more likely to ask for help through social media which can save people." (Girl, age 15)

There is slightly less consensus among teens who say social media has had a mostly negative effect on people their age. The top response (mentioned by 27% of these teens) is that social media has led to more bullying and the overall spread of rumors.

"Gives people a bigger audience to speak and teach hate and belittle each other." (Boy, age 13)

"People can say whatever they want with anonymity and I think that has a negative impact." (Boy, age 15)

"Because teens are killing people all because of the things they see on social media or because of the things that happened on social media." (Girl, age 14)

Meanwhile, 17% of these respondents feel these platforms harm relationships and result in less meaningful human interactions. Similar shares think social media distorts reality and gives teens an unrealistic view of other people's lives (15%), or that teens spend too much time on social media (14%).

"It has a negative impact on social (in-person) interactions." (Boy, age 17)

"It makes it harder for people to socialize in real life, because they become accustomed to not interacting with people in person." (Girl, age 15)

"It provides a fake image of someone's life. It sometimes makes me feel that their life is perfect when it is not." (Girl, age 15)

"[Teens] would rather go scrolling on their phones instead of doing their homework, and it's so easy to do so. It's just a huge distraction." (Boy, age 17)

Another 12% criticize social media for influencing teens to give in to peer pressure, while smaller shares express concerns that these sites could lead to psychological issues or drama.

Vast majority of teens have access to a home computer or smartphone

Some 95% of teens now say they have or have access to a smartphone, which represents a 22-percentage-point increase from the 73% of teens who said this in 2014-2015. Smartphone ownership is nearly universal among teens of different genders, races and ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds.

A more nuanced story emerges when it comes to teens' access to computers. While 88% of teens report having access to a desktop or laptop computer at home, access varies greatly by income level. Fully 96% of teens from households with an annual income of $75,000 or more per year say they have access to a computer at home, but that share falls to 75% among those from households earning less than $30,000 a year.

Computer access also varies by the level of education among parents. Teens who have a parent with a bachelor's degree or more are more likely to say they have access to a computer than teens whose parents have a high school diploma or less (94% vs. 78%).

A growing share of teens describe their internet use as near-constant

As smartphone access has become more prevalent, a growing share of teens now report using the internet on a near-constant basis. Some 45% of teens say they use the internet "almost constantly," a figure that has nearly doubled from the 24% who said this in the 2014-2015 survey. Another 44% say they go online several times a day, meaning roughly nine-in-ten teens go online at least multiple times per day.

There are some differences in teens' frequency of internet use by gender, as well as race and ethnicity. Half of teenage girls (50%) are near-constant online users, compared with 39% of teenage boys. And Hispanic teens are more likely than whites to report using the internet almost constantly (54% vs. 41%).

A majority of both boys and girls play video games, but gaming is nearly universal for boys

Overall, 84% of teens say they have or have access to a game console at home, and 90% say they play video games of any kind (whether on a computer, game console or cellphone). While a substantial majority of girls report having access to a game console at home (75%) or playing video games in general (83%), those shares are even higher among boys. Roughly nine-in-ten boys (92%) have or have access to a game console at home, and 97% say they play video games in some form or fashion.

There has been growth in game console ownership among Hispanic teens and teens from lower-income families since the Center's previous study of the teen technology landscape in 2014-2015. The share of Hispanics who say they have access to a game console at home grew by 10 percentage points during this time period. And 85% of teens from households earning less than $30,000 a year now say they have a game console at home, up from 67% in 2014-2015.

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YouTube, Instagram and Snapchat are the most popular online platforms among teens. Fully 95% of teens have access to a smartphone, and 45% say they are online 'almost constantly' Until recently, Facebook had dominated the social media landscape among America's youth - but it is no longer the most popular online platform among teens, according to a new Pew Research Center survey.

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Forbes: Is Technology Ruining Our Ability to Read Emotions? Study Says Yes

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Forbes: Is Technology Ruining Our Ability to Read Emotions? Study Says Yes

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We lack the necessary practice for social interaction
Reading emotions is essential in the professional world
Romantic relationships require a good amount if real communication

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We've all heard it before, "Kids don't know grammar anymore because all they do is text," or "Today's generation misses everything going on around them because they're staring at their phones." But a recent research study by UCLA warns the damage of too much screen time may be even worse than many of us imagined . The study, which will be published in the October 2014 issues of Computers in Human Behavior, found that digital media decreased children's ability to read other people's emotions.

The researchers provided sixth grade students with a pre-test to establish their baseline abilities to read emotions. The students were shown photographs and videotaped scenes where the audio was silenced. The participants were then asked to infer people's emotional states based on facial expressions and non-verbal cues.

Half the students were then sent away to a camp where they lacked access to digital media. They spent their time doing traditional camp activities - hiking, archery, and learning about nature. The control group went about their daily activity as usual including their normal access to digital media (which for these students averaged about four and a half hours on the typical school day).

After five days, both groups participated in a post-test. The kids who went to camp showed significant improvements in their abilities to recognize emotions. The control group only showed a slight improvement. The authors concluded that the increased face-to-face interaction improved the campers' social skills.
What Could This Mean for Adults?
Although the participants in the study were children, that doesn't necessarily mean adults are immune to declining social skills. After all, the participants in the study were sixth grade students - probably between the ages of 11 and 13. We're not talking about preschoolers who are just learning about emotions. These are pre-teens who should already understand the basics about feelings and should already possess a certain amount of sophisticated social skills.

Could too much time behind a screen interfere with adults' ability to recognize emotions? I think it can. After all, social skills are like other skills in life. You have to practice them to get better. And when our faces are buried in our phones and the majority of our conversations take place behind a screen, it's bound to have some impact on our ability to socialize in-person effectively.

Clearly, the ability to recognize how someone else is feeling is an essential business skill. Selling a product to someone? You'd better be able to notice if that person is growing disinterested. Trying to work effectively with your employees? You'll need to recognize when they're feeling frustrated. Research even shows that social skills may be just as important as intelligence when it comes to achieving success. (See my previous article Research Shows Successful Leaders Aren't Just Smart - They're Also Socially Adept).

Obviously our ability to recognize how other people are feeling is an essential skill in our personal lives too. How many marriages breakdown due to a lack of communication? Understanding how to read a partner's non-verbal cues can greatly influence relationship satisfaction.
Sharpening Those Social Skills
The good news is, the kids in the study experienced improved social skills after only five days away from their electronics. Although most of us don't have a week long summer camp we can regularly retreat to, perhaps we can practice taking regular days off from our electronics. Removing ourselves from social media, email, and newsfeeds for one day a week could help improve our social skills.

Or what if we just made a conscious choice to add some more face-to-face socialization into our schedules? Maybe socializing with friends in-person rather than over social media or spending more time speaking with our counterparts, rather than networking over LinkedIn could be a step in the right direction.

We all come across people that we think are rather "clueless" when it comes to social skills and recognizing emotions. However, we're not always that good at recognizing our own shortcomings in the social skill department (See my previous article: Do Your Counterparts See You As A Pushover Or A Jerk? Study Shows You May Be Oblivious). It's likely that exchanging emoticons for face-to-face contact can help all of us sharpen our social skills .
Amy Morin is a psychotherapist and the author of 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do, a bestselling book that is being translated into more than 20 languages..

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Is Technology Ruining Our Ability to Read Emotions? Study Says Yes

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Too much time time reading emoticons may interfere with your ability to read real emotions.

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The Bottom Line: Technology is destroying the Quality of Human Interaction

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The Bottom Line: Technology is destroying the Quality of Human Interaction

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Face to face interaction is proven to be comforting
People become more important to you after real interaction
Having a large amount of "followers" makes each relationship less meaningful
Counter-argument: has allowed us to maintain long distance relationships
But we are spreading ourselves too thin

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Melissa Nilles
Arts & Entertainment Editor

Photo by Andrea Rodriguez

I had a terrible nightmare the other night. Instead of meeting for a quick cup of coffee, my friend and I spent 30 minutes texting back and forth about our day. After that, instead of going in to talk to my professor during his office hours, I emailed him from home with my question. Because of this, he never got to know who I was, even though he would have been a great source for a letter of recommendation if he had. I ignored a cute guy at the bus stop asking me the time because I was busy responding to a text. And I spent far too much time on Facebook trying to catch up with my 1000+ "friends," most of whom I rarely see, and whose meaning sadly seems to dispel even more as the sheer number of "connections" I've made grows.

Oh wait, that wasn't a dream. This technological detachment is becoming today's reality.

Little by little, Internet and mobile technology seems to be subtly destroying the meaningfulness of interactions we have with others, disconnecting us from the world around us, and leading to an imminent sense of isolation in today's society. Instead of spending time in person with 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. Ten texts can't even begin to equal an hour spent chatting with a friend over lunch. And a smiley-face emoticon is cute, but it could never replace the ear-splitting grin and smiling eyes of one of your best friends. Face time is important, people. We need to see each other.

This doesn't just apply to our friends; it applies to the world around us. It should come as no surprise that face-to-face interaction is proven by studies to comfort us and provide us with some important sense of well-being, whether it's with friends or friendly cashiers in the checkout line of Albertson's. That's actually the motivation behind Albertson's decision last year to take all of the self-checkout lanes out of its stores: an eerie lack of human contact.

There's something intangibly real and valuable about talking with someone face to face. 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 disembodied text voice pops up on your cell phone, iPad or computer screen.

It seems we have more extended connections than ever in this digital world, which can be great for networking, if it's used right. The sad fact of the matter is that most of us don't. It's too hard to keep up with 1000 friends, let alone 200. At that point, do we even remember their names? We need to start prizing the meaning of quality in our connections, not sheer quantity.

One of my best friends from my hometown has 2,241 Facebook friends. Sure, her posts get a ton of feedback, but when I asked her about the quality of those relationships, she said to me that she really has few friends that she can trust and spend time with happily. Using a strange conundrum like this as a constructive example, we should consider pruning our rampant online connections at the very least.

Past evolutionary psychology research by British anthropologist and psychologist Robin Dunbar has revealed that people are actually limited to a certain number of stable, supportive connections with others in their social network: roughly 150. Furthermore, recent follow-up research by Cornell University's Bruno Goncalves used Twitter data to show that despite the current ability to connect with vast amounts of people via the Internet, a person can still only truly maintain a friendship with a maximum of 100 to 200 real friends in their social network.

While technology has allowed us some means of social connection that would have never been possible before, and has allowed us to maintain long-distance friendships that would have otherwise probably fallen by the wayside, the fact remains that it is causing ourselves to spread ourselves too thin, as well as slowly ruining the quality of social interaction that we all need as human beings.

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So what are we doing with 3000 friends on the Internet? Why are we texting all the time? Seems like a big waste of time to me. Let's spend more time together with our friends. Let's make the relationships that count last, and not rely on technology to do the job for us.

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Technology is Destroying the Quality of Human Interaction - The Bottom Line UCSB

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Melissa Nilles Arts & Entertainment Editor Photo by Andrea Rodriguez I had a terrible nightmare the other night. Instead of meeting for a quick cup of coffee, my friend and I spent 30 minutes texting back and forth about our day.

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The Daily Universe: Technology may have negative social effects on kids

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The Daily Universe: Technology may have negative social effects on kids

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Need for instant gratification
Most kids even under the age of 2 have used some sort of smart phone
Screen time can lead to stress
Looking at a screen changes hormone levels
Irritability
Kids talk to their parents less
They are developing a lack of motivation
Dopamine increase from social media satisfaction

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Kids ages eight to 18 are becoming more addicted to technology, and it is leading to negative consequences, such as the need for instant gratification, poor face-to-face interaction and risk of depression.

Children between the ages of eight and 10 years old spend more than seven hours a day using technology, and teenagers average more than 11 hours, according to a 2010 study from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

A report by Common Sense Media shows in 2011, 10 percent of kids under age 2 used a mobile device and now in 2017, 38 percent of children under 2 have used a mobile device.

Screen time can lead to stress because chronic stress created from looking at a screen changes hormone levels, which increase irritability. This change in hormone levels can lead to depression, according to Psychology Today.

Lone Peak High School student Nick Johnson said he sees how technology is changing the way people communicate face to face.

"All of my friends having phones is annoying because sometimes me and my friends want to get together and play a basketball game, and one kid will go off and just want to play games on his phone," Johnson said. "People get caught up in the games or new technology."

A study done by FCD Educational Services found those who use too much technology are more likely to develop the same brain chemistry as substance abusers.

The next four sections will cover technology and instant gratification, face-to-face interaction, risk of depression and a different use of dopamine in the body.

Instant gratification leading to technology addiction
The need for instant gratification is more likely to lead someone to addictive tendencies or behaviors, according to BYU psychology graduate student Lee Essig. He said people have a way to cope or escape hard things in life. The coping method might be through overeating, excessive exercise, pornography or social media.

"This instant gratification we seek may initially be motivated by a desire for pleasure, but once our brain has learned where we turn for pleasure, it will begin to use the same neural pathways as a response to pain, fear, anger, sadness," Essig said.

The coping mechanisms initially used for pleasure or gratification have become a way to escape the pain or frustration in life, according to Essig.

"When we're stressed, upset or feeling down, we're more likely to turn to any of these behaviors in order to not feel those negative emotions," Essig said. "This is what leads to compulsive or addictive behaviors. It's not so much about gratification as it is an escape from pain."

Essig said video games, social media, technology and Netflix are not necessarily bad, until used as a crutch to cope with emotions, stress or difficulties in life.
Face-to-face interaction

Nate Johnson, father of four children who currently attend Lone Peak High School, said there is a good use for technology in helping kids learn faster, but there is also a bad side to it.

"Instead of a kid coming home and interacting with people, they hop on an electronic device, and that is a real challenge," Johnson said. "With good media, there is also bad media, so finding the balance to let them enjoy it and grow from those things is hard."

He said there is a significant issue, not so much for the younger kids, but for teenagers. Children are picking up the phone to text or Snapchat instead of picking up the phone and speaking to someone.

"That is the challenge because the real world isn't done electronically," Johnson said. "We have to communicate in person, so whether it is face to face with their peers or parents, kids are hindered from developing relationships because kids are used to just texting."

To help kids with technology addiction, parents can teach kids how to pick useful and age-appropriate media, according to Common Sense Media.
Risk of depression
An article about childhood obesity and depression published in the International Journal of Child Health and Human Development said kids have a lack of motivation for activity due to overuse of technology. Certain behavior, moods or thoughts that come from sedentary activity are correlated with depression.

The article also stated that 30 percent of the 1,500 kids in the study used the internet for three or more hours a day and were diagnosed with depression. The research recommended children participate in more physical activities.
Different use of dopamine in the body
BYU psychology graduate student Thomas White said dopamine is the feel-good chemical the body releases when pleased about something.

"It makes sense that if you enjoy technology, then you are likely to feel the effects of dopamine," White said.

He said children aren't using dopamine correctly; they are just seeking happiness using unsocial methods such as technology to get that "natural high" - normally achieved through face-to-face interactions.

White said herecommends people seek a variety of methods, such as in-person social interaction, to get thenatural high from dopamine and not just from technology.

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Technology may have negative social effect on kids - The Daily Universe

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Kids ages eight to 18 are becoming more addicted to technology, and it is leading to negative consequences, such as the need for instant gratification, poor face-to-face interaction and risk of depression. Children between the ages of eight and 10 years old spend more than seven hours a day using technology, and teenagers average more than 11 hours, according to a 2010 study from the Kaiser Family Foundation.

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Liberty Classical Academy: How Technology Affects Your Social Skills

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Liberty Classical Academy: How Technology Affects Your Social Skills

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People are losing an understanding for the importance of eye contact
Texting has made people unable to communicate well over a normal phone call
People are checking their phones during face to face interactions, which makes them seem uninterested
Technology use can actually slow reaction time
People are more easily distracted

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Teens and adults immersed in their technology devices, oblivious to the world around them, has become a familiar sight. In a digital world, the majority of communication is accomplished through a keyboard or touch screen, and kids no longer understand the basics of simple conversation. As social media connects us within the digital realm, it is creating a social skills deficit in our kids. Here is a list of the five most crucial, in-person social skills that technophiles of all ages, are losing due to technology.

Eye Contact

Being able to sustain eye contact, and know when it's appropriate, is a vital social tool. Looking at screens for more than ten hours a day takes away the ability to know what to look at when holding a one-on-one conversation. According to recent estimates, the average American spends more than five hours per day using digital devices on computers and mobile devices, and another four and a half hours watching television. Additionally, the average mobile user checks his or her phone 150 times a day.

The importance of eye contact in human relationships, whether at school or work, is difficult to underestimate. It is the strongest form of nonverbal communication and over 43 percent of the attention we focus on someone is devoted to the eyes. It also plays a critical role in the development of emotional connections. Eye contact can be a tool for influencing others. Looking at a colleague when speaking conveys confidence and respect. Prolonged eye contact during a debate or disagreement can signal standing one's ground.

Phone Skills

The ability to speak on the phone-clearly, confidently, and concisely-is becoming a thing of the past. The age of text messages, Twitter and Instagram has begun to really impair the younger generation's ability to actually hold solid, professional conversations on the phone. In initial professional phone conversations, and emails, it's important to introduce yourself, and be as detailed, yet concise as possible. The tendency to text rather than call people has left the younger generation hopelessly awkward and nervous over the phone. Lack of basic phone skills contribute to the inability to articulate or explain anything with depth of thought and feeling and requires back and forth connection.

Conversation

The art of conversation is one skill many young people lack. Asking questions about others, actively listening, and being able to read other peoples physical social cues are all part of being a skilled conversationalist. The constant compulsion to look at a screen does not give those that interact with them the impression that they are invested in the present conversation. When engaged in face-to-face communication, social information is conveyed by vocal and visual cues in the context of the situation. Non-verbal communication is an important part of communicating and it includes facial expressions, eye contact, tone of voice as well as posture and space between individuals.

Spatial Awareness and Dangerous Distraction

When individuals are ultra-focused on their own technological world, it can make one less aware of the present physical world around you. As technology and interruption become more and more prevalent, the negative consequences of not paying attention become more pronounced. Cognitive science research shows that the brain has limited bandwidth; dual-tasking compels the brain to pull from some shared, limited resource, slowing reaction time.

Attention Span

It can be very obvious when someone is bored, either with work, in a meeting, or in a dialogue. Part of having good social skills knows when to focus and pay attention. A recent study by Microsoft Corporation has found the digital lifestyle has made it difficult to stay focused, with the human attention span shortening from 12 seconds to eight seconds in more than a decade. Heavy multi-screeners find it difficult to filter out irrelevant stimuli and are more easily distracted by multiple streams of media. Human attention span is smaller due to the growing presence of technology gadgets. The desire to be constantly connected can compromise attention spans in exchange for being better multi-taskers.
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How Technology Affects Your Social Skills | Liberty Classical Academy

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Teens and adults immersed in their technology devices, oblivious to the world around them, has become a familiar sight. In a digital world, the majority of communication is accomplished through a keyboard or touch screen, and kids no longer understand the basics of simple conversation.

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BBC News: We don't talk any more - is technology harming communication?

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BBC News: We don't talk any more - is technology harming communication?

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People more likely to be rude or assertive digitally than they would be in a face-to-face conversation
On the other hand, technology may be beneficially because people have more time to think about what they're saying rather than being caught in the moment

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In a world of tweets and texts, email and instant messaging, are we communicating any better?

Or is modern technology making us lazy about actually talking to each other, with damaging effects on both business and society?

This was the issue that the Today programme guest editor Sir Victor Blank asked me to investigate. Having only had a brief email explaining what he wanted, I was still rather unclear about his thesis - until I got him on the phone for a chat. Which sort of made his point...

"Technology is a massive aid to communication," he told me, "but if it takes away regular face-to-face or direct conversations, then you lose something of the softer edges."

Sir Victor, the former chairman of Lloyds TSB, seemed particularly concerned about the impact that modern methods were having in the business world, with executives firing off emails in anger, and making deals they might later regret, rather than seeing the whites of the eyes of their counterparts in face-to-face negotiations.

That was a concern shared by one person Sir Victor suggested as a possible interviewee. The former Times editor Lord Rees-Mogg told me that if he were in the newspaper business today he would of course use the most modern methods. But he felt that many people could become addicted to email and social networking. "I do notice that emails are often fired off without any real consideration - they're also much ruder than more considered communications, so I think they're inferior."

Perhaps surprisingly, that view might get a sympathetic hearing at the technology firm Atos, which has decided to phase out email as an internal communications tool. "Email has become the easy way to communicate but also the lazy way," says Rob Price, the UK managing partner of Atos.

Anyone who has arrived at their desk to find that they have been copied in on dozens of internal emails of no relevance, will say amen to that. But Atos is not rejecting modern communication techniques, simply recognising that a new generation already thinks email is old hat. Its new recruits arrive from university accustomed to instant messaging and social networks - far more rapid methods of communication.

Another major corporation has recognised that forcing its employees to be "always on" has its limits. Volkswagen's Works Council has decreed that the German firm's Blackberry server should stop sending emails to employees thirty minutes after their shift ends.

But what I really needed was someone who had taken an objective, scientific look at the way we use communications technology - and Dr Monica Bulger of the Oxford Internet Institute fitted the bill.

Far from dumbing down the way we communicate, technology had made us smarter, she told me. In particular, executives like Sir Victor Blank had been made more literate by the arrival of computers and word processing. "Prior to word processors, executives would dictate messages to secretaries and speak on the phone. So the use of technology has improved literacy."

Dr Bulger conceded that face-to-face communication was important, but said it also had its dangers: "I've sat in meetings where people have said things they shouldn't have." Whereas email gave more time for considered reflection: "You can do the count to ten rule and think a bit before you respond."

Overall, the academic's conclusion was that the different technologies now available to us were helping not hindering communication. But she conceded that there was an issue with what she described as "cognitive overload or data deluge."

Tell me about it. As someone who is addicted to these technologies, I still find myself oppressed by the sheer quantity of emails, phone messages and social media activity that need to be dealt with each day. I can't imagine how I would do my job without tools like Twitter. Yet I sometimes wonder whether I communicated better 30 years ago.

In my student days, before the age of the mobile or email, we used to simply drop in on people or bump into them in the street - but still managed to have rich and varied social lives and make enduring friendships.

So I decided to go back to university to give the final word to members of today's Facebook generation. I knocked on the door of my son's student flat in Oxford and asked him to go and get some friends from next door - he immediately reached for his phone to text them, rather than walk a few steps.

But once we'd gathered them together, the students proved to have quite a nuanced view of modern communication. One of them hardly ever used social networks and said he just bumped into people in the street; another mentioned the danger of becoming obsessed with Facebook at the expense of face-to-face communication.

And a third summed it up for me: "You use social networking and modern technology to arrange meeting people face to face, when otherwise you might not see them for a few weeks - you might not bump into them." We agreed that new communication technologies provided an addition, not a replacement, for traditional means.

So what shall I tell Sir Victor? It seems to me that his concerns about the impact of email, social networking and instant messaging on our ability to communicate, are somewhat exaggerated. But maybe we need to meet face to face to talk it through...

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We don't talk any more - is technology harming communication?

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In a world of tweets and texts, email and instant messaging, are we communicating any better? Or is modern technology making us lazy about actually talking to each other, with damaging effects on both business and society? This was the issue that the Today programme guest editor Sir Victor Blank asked me to investigate.

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Public News Service: Too Much Technology Hurting Kids' Communication Skills

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Public News Service: Too Much Technology Hurting Kids' Communication Skills

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Kids are missing out on physical language
Eye contact is an important skill to learn
Encourages parents to teach responsible technology use and set reasonable parameters
Hearing loss in kids since the use of MP3 devices

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Experts say technology is replacing conversation and human interaction, and that's bad for kids. (OnaMaria Fletcher Mora)

INDIANAPOLIS - Smartphones and tablets make communicating easy in some ways, but experts warn there may be consequences for youngsters.

The biggest concern of speech pathologists is that excessive technology use is replacing conversation and human interaction, according to a new poll from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association. When kids are on devices, said Dr. Ann Kummer, senior director of speech-language pathology at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, they're not only missing out on verbal interaction but also physical language.

"What's most important in communication development and also in the development of relationships is direct communication, which means that you look at each other, you have eye contact, you laugh together," she said, "and that is not well done through devices."

A majority of speech-language pathologists in the poll said they believe the overuse of technology could cause irreversible damage to the communication skills of future generations. During Better Hearing and Speech Month in May, they are encouraging parents to model safe technology use and set reasonable parameters for their children.

Technology isn't bad, Kummer said, but the key is moderation. She said nothing can replace what a child can learn through communicating person to person.

"A lot of times, parents are driving and kids are sitting using their devices and there's no talking going on," she said. "I always found in raising my kids that, sometimes, the best conversations were when we were together in the car."

Kummer said the significant rise in hearing loss in young people in recent years coincides with an increase in MP3 players and iPods. She suggested encouraging kids to keep the volume at half-level because most hearing loss is irreversible.

Information about the poll is online at asha.org/bhsm.

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Too Much Technology Hurting Kids' Communication Skills

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INDIANAPOLIS - Smartphones and tablets make communicating easy in some ways, but experts warn there may be consequences for youngsters. The biggest concern of speech pathologists is that excessive technology use is replacing conversation and human interaction, according to a new poll from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association.

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The Lance: Does cell phone use really affect our communication skills?

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The Lance: Does cell phone use really affect our communication skills?

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Brings up statistics towards the end about smartphone usage
Cell phone communication is actually hurting relationships because of misinterpretation
Hard for young people and students to communicate with teachers face to face because they are so used to using email.
Young people don't know how to hold focused conversations because over text they can just jump from one topic to the next

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We live in a world where communication through modern technology is almost required. Everywhere people are texting, emailing, writing blogs and tweeting. It's hard to go anywhere without seeing someone using a phone or the Internet to connect with others. Can you imagine not being able to check your Twitter, Facebook or messages for a week? We would feel lost.

Of course the use of technology can be good. It provides us with faster, more efficient ways to communicate with others, but it can also harm our ability to communicate with people face to face. Many complain that our new digital skills impact our ability to write properly. We look old fashioned on paper.

"i nede to ask a?"

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"Cell phones have changed communication because now, instead of friends actually having a face to face conversation, they text each other. This is bad because intent become misinterpreted, which can lead to 'drama' and friendship problems. The use of cell phones has affected me because whenever I am in a situation, instead of trying to make a conversation I resort to my cell phone," Junior Taylor Strahan said.

How the message is sent can determine many additional factors as to how the message is interpreted by the receiver. All new information we learn is compared with the knowledge we already have. If it confirms what we already know, we will likely receive the new information accurately, though we may pay little attention to it. If it disputes our previous assumptions or interpretation of the situation, we may distort it in our mind so that it is made to fit our world view, or we may dismiss the information as deceptive, misguided, or simply wrong.

For example, if two people are involved in an escalated conflict, and they each assume that the other is going to be aggressive and hostile, then any ambiguous message will be interpreted as aggressive and hostile, even if it was not intended to be that way at all. Our expectations work as blinders or filters that distort what we see so that it fits our preconceived images of the world.

According to pewinternet.org, "a bit more than a third (37%) of social network-using teens said they sent messages to friends every day through the social sites, a drop from the 42% of such teens who said they did so in February of 2008". Face- to -face communication among children and teenagers is being squashed out by social networks. A phone call isn't used to get in touch with someone anymore; Facebook and Twitter are the main tools of communication. The consequences of this are social awkwardness and even social anxiety when confronted with new people to meet in person. A study was done by pewinternet.org among teenagers on social networks, and the amount of communication among teenagers on social networks, and the amount of communication by social network has remained steady.

Studies show that homework is interrupted and children become distracted when they receive notifications of a new chat messages, texts, or emails.

"Good communication is important because when we are adults and applying for interviews, we won't know how to have proper communication, which can result in not getting the job. Another thing is kids are so focused on social networking on our phones that we spend less time on school work which causes bad grades. In the future when applying for college, they won't accept us because we have bad grades and that is due to cell phone use," Strahan added.

Texting has, in many ways, made communication easier by helping people avoid long, unpleasant phone conversations and making a quick "Hello" much easier. According to the Pew Research Center, 72% of teenagers text regularly, and one in three sends more than 100 texts per day. Clearly, texting is the preferred method of communication among young people, and that trend is moving upward toward adults, who are also texting much more frequently.

Studies have shown that it makes it difficult for students who rely so heavily on technology to actually communicate to adults in person because they don't quite develop all of the necessary skills to hold or even start a face-to-face conversation. However, these skills are a crucial tool in the workforce. If you want a high paying, stable job, or possibly even to be admitted to a university, you must have good face-to-face communication skills. If you lack these specific skills you most likely won't even make it through the interview.

"Teens are in the stage of their life where they're learning so if you don't learn to have good communication skills, then when you become an adult you will have a harder time asking for help, being proactive with things in your life," said reading specialist Mrs. Tracey Cassidy.

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Students who are constantly texting with abbreviated forms of words have begun to speak with the same acronyms. The now everyday uses of "LOL" and "OMG" have become substitutions for actual emotional responses in conversations. This form of talking is often seen as flighty and uneducated. They're not only speaking in abbreviated ways but they are also beginning to become distracted during conversations. While texting, it is easy to jump from topic to topic when an idea comes to mind. However, this is causing many students to become unfocused and sidetracked during face to face conversations.

"I think that some cell phones have opened up communication for teens 100% because that's how they communicate with their friends, parents, with their school work. I think it's fantastic, and that's what they really rely on, so it is good but some negatives are their communication skills are not as strong as they should be, like talking to other people," Cassidy added.

"When I was a teen we did not have cell phones or computers. I had a telephone in my room (which was a big deal) it was attached to the wall with a long cord and was then attached to a base so I couldn't walk around the house and talk on the phone. I had to say in my room for privacy. Before I got my own phone I would use the phone in the kitchen, I would stretch the phone cord as far as I could and then go into a closet for privacy," parent Barbara Dempster said.

"Communication is a way for people to connect with each other and form relationship. It is also a way to gather information from others. I like the variety of ways that people can communicate and keep in touch with one another. I do feel that the importance of face- to- face communication has been impacted by the use of cell phone and texting vs. talking on the phone," Dempster added.

We have become a society that is completely dependent on our technology to communicate with others. It's almost impossible for us to maintain our social life without using some sort of modern-day technology to communicate.

"In terms of communication, it is harder for teens to communicate face to face with people with maybe teachers, because they're so used to doing it via email. Sometimes it's good, meaning if you don't like a grade you have, you can email the teacher saying you have concerns about your grade. Where if you don't have an email, you have to talk to your teacher about the grade you don't like and you might be nervous and uncomfortable because it's your teacher," Cassidy said.

"I would tell teens that there is a time and place for texting and there is a time when you need to have a conversation either face to face or over the telephone," said Dempster.

"Texting is great when you need to find out information quickly - Are you still coming over? Do you want a soda? Where are you?"

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Dempster believes other situations require face- to -face like, "When you are joking and it may be difficult for the other person to sense your humor or sarcasm, communication with a teacher or adult. When telling your parents you did something wrong," Dempster said.

According to Pew Research Center, "As technology continues to improve, the use of cell phones continues to change drastically. The increase over the last ten years has been incredible and the way we use our phones to stay connected and informed continues to change."

"The average American smartphone user spent nearly 30 minutes a day checking or updating social networks. The way we use cell phones has changed drastically over the last year. Once upon a time, we used cell phones to make calls while we were away from our homes. Recent studies show that we may be migrating away from our primary use of the phone to more of a texting and mobile web device."

Research from www.accuconference.com states that in 2012

*53% of adults own a smartphone.

*42% of people have used their phone for entertainment when they are bored.

*51% of users used their cell phone at least once to get information.

*27% said they had trouble doing something because they did not have their phone.

*29% turn off their phones to take a break from their digital life at night.

This article is not to say that mobile phones should be banned due to their many negative aspects. It depends upon us whether we use this technology for our progress and prosperity or for our destruction. No doubt, mobile phone is the best innovation of this era but people should use it in a positive sense.

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Does cell phone use really affect our communication skills?

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The short URL of the present article is: https://lhslance.org/bKUbA We live in a world where communication through modern technology is almost required. Everywhere people are texting, emailing, writing blogs and tweeting. It's hard to go anywhere without seeing someone using a phone or the Internet to connect with others.

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Search Engine Journal: Is Technology Crippling Our Communication Skills?

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Search Engine Journal: Is Technology Crippling Our Communication Skills?

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Communication skills in business
Small talk among coworkers could increase productivity and happiness

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We've all done it: pulled out our phone in a moment of waiting in line to get coffee or while your friend is driving you to the movies. It's a habit many of us do multiple times daily. Deloitte found that Americans check their phones collectively 8 billion times per day; a Gallup poll found most users are checking it at least hourly, if not more.

However, this habit of constantly getting sucked into your digital world could have a detriment effect on your communication skills when it comes to business. If you become uncomfortable talking to colleagues when you don't have anything specific to talk about, this could influence your potential working relationship and overall productivity down the road.

Psychology Today found that small talk amongst coworkers (sometimes known as "water cooler talk") could actually increase productivity 10-15%, due to the fact that we are social animals and feeling like we are part of a community can increase our overall happiness and output at work.

Here are some of the ways we are using technology as a communication detriment and why it's worth it to fight the urge to let it get in the way of building better relationships.

Avoid Using Technology as Filler For Silence

Before smartphones, people often filled silences in waiting rooms or while waiting for a meeting to start with small talk-the weather, a recent news item, what holiday is coming up next. In order to avoid this, many people instead pull out their smartphone, using it as a digital "security blanket" that makes it seems like you have emails to answer or people to text back.

Culturally, if we see someone hurrying down the street, phone next to their ear, we assume they are on their way to an important appointment that is probably much more important than our own agenda. However, we should sacrifice the need to look important to others for actually doing the work to make ourselves happier or more effective in the office.

Small Talk Can Affect Your Overall Well-being

However, the next time you feel the urge to pull out your phone (even if everyone around you is doing it), consider sparking up a conversation with someone nearby instead. If it's a stranger, remark on the location's décor or the weather.

If it's a colleague or friend, ask about their family or what projects they have going on. Many conversations not only lead to better relationships, but more positive interactions with others can increase your overall daily happiness, according to the Scientific American.

Choosing Virtual Means Over In-Person or Phone Conversations

Because I work remotely, my colleagues and I spend the majority of our time talking over virtual means, like Google Hangouts, Skype, or email. While this can help you ask questions more quickly without getting distracted, there are some conversations that would be better solved with a quick call or a stop to their desk, if you work in the same office. The Huffington Post recommends that if your IM conversation takes more than 10-15 minutes to explain something or get on the same page, an in-person or phone chat would've likely been better.

While I do find that I get to know my colleagues better when we are IMing about our lives or what we're working on (which is comparable to a virtual "water cooler"), I do feel closer to them, which does make our working relationship better. A Harvard study found that women's expectations of work relationships place a high value on loyalty and trust, something that can be built slowly through regular communication, both online and in-person.

However, if we are on different sides of a topic or I am trying to walk someone through something, I've found that a call is much easier. In addition, one benefit of calls on Hangouts or Skype that technology has made exponentially better is screen share. It allows us to see what the other person is seeing, which makes problem-solving and brainstorming go much more quickly. I also often record my screen when explaining a task I need help with to send to my virtual assistants so they can review and work on it in their own time. This is often much quicker than typing out instructions in an email.

When you are taking more than a few seconds to type your replies in IM or email, consider if a quick phone call or meeting would make the process easier.

Using Digital Communication to Build Relationships

When it comes to determining what type of communication is best for the situation, ask yourself what would make you happier and what would further your relationship with those around you.

If you're at the DMV and Candy Crush is the only thing that will make you less stressed, then it's usually worth pulling your phone out. However, if you're with a group of coworkers for your monthly book club lunch, leave your phone in your pocket or bag and focus on catching up with the people that are right in front of you. This can often leave to better dividends for building your relationships more than checking your email or Facebook ever could.
Featured image created via Canva. Other image via DepositPhotos.

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Is Technology Crippling Our Communication Skills? - Search Engine Journal

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We've all done it: pulled out our phone in a moment of waiting in line to get coffee or while your friend is driving you to the movies. It's a habit many of us do multiple times daily.

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Penn State University. Science in Our World: Are Cell Phones Ruining Our Social Skills?

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Penn State University. Science in Our World: Are Cell Phones Ruining Our Social Skills?

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Study found that there is a correlation between social anxiety during face to face interaction with the amount of online interaction the person has.
Kids found it easier to meet people online than in person.
People are not facing their problems but rather hiding behind the screen (this is detrimental)
Loss in social and personal development
Individual is unable to express body language, tone, voice, touch, and facial expressions through text.

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Cell phone, social media and technological interactions are ruining our generations face to face communication skills. The use of technology to communicate has drastically increased over the past two decades. In 2002 only 10% of the world's population used cell phones and by 2005 that number had risen to 46% (Pierce). Although technology is great and all-what is it doing to the way teens communicate now a days? It is completely transforming our culture.

A study done by Tamyra Pierce examined 280 high school students to assess their use of technology and how it affected the students socially. The observational study consisted of a survey in which each student was to answer which social media accounts he or she possessed, how long each spent on his or her phone and how comfortable he or she was in face-to-face situations. The findings showed that there is in fact a correlation between social anxiety of face to face interaction which increases with the amount of online interaction one participates in. Furthermore, students reported that they were much less nervous meeting friends online than they were meeting new people in person, both startling pieces of evidence.

Let's take for example two individuals in a relationship. If the couple spends more time communicating and spending time through texting, there is a loss of affection in the relationship. One misses out on the intimacy of actually spending quality face to face time with someone. Texting and social media allows people to hide behind screens and to not truly express themselves for who they are. In an article referenced by Psych Central, the author stressed that avoiding uncomfortable and undesired situations by addressing them through text message is detrimental. As quoted by Bernard Guerney, founder of the National Institute of Relationship Enhancement, "you grow some when you face things, and I think you lose something when you have to resort to tricky things and not confront people about things that are intimately important" (Psych Central). By communicating through text message and social media, there is a loss in social and personal development.

In addition, social skills and face to face interactions are damaged through impersonal communication because the individual is unable to express body language, tone, voice, touch and facial expressions through text message.

The science behind such discoveries shows that there is a natural comfort in connecting behind phone screens than face-to-face, which in turn negatively affects how our generation develops and communicates with one another.

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SiOWfa15: Science in Our World: Certainty and Controversy

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Cell phone, social media and technological interactions are ruining our generations face to face communication skills. The use of technology to communicate has drastically increased over the past two decades. In 2002 only 10% of the world's population used cell phones and by 2005 that number had risen to 46% (Pierce).