For humans, it is very important to communicate with others. Some of us may have loved ones miles away. Technology has helped us achieve that through apps such as FaceTime, iMessage, and social media apps.

You may recall the 2020 pandemic. We started relying a lot on technology for school work and to connect with our friends and family. After the pandemic and going back to school, I often wonder if technology makes us feel more isolated.

After quarantine, I recall looking at classmates when we returned to school and noticing how much they had changed, and remember the anxiety I felt talking to them in person. I had grown accustomed to talking with friends through a small screen and talking to people, face-to-face, felt quite intimidating. 

In my perspective, technology has benefited us in many ways, but it has also sometimes kept us apart from others. Many people today experience anxiety when speaking with others. I am aware of this since we rarely interact with others in person; instead, we text or call to communicate.

Since I have two younger siblings, I have also noticed that they don’t actually spend time away from their iPads or laptops. I can see them become more and more hesitant to talk with each other.

As technology advances and we use it more, I personally see that my friends and I text each other more often than we physically talk to each other. At school, if you don’t understand a topic, you can now ask Google instead of asking your teacher for clarification.

We use technology frequently in schools to turn in homework, do assignments, and even just in our everyday lives. Because of how much we use it, technology has become easier to use.

Schools are also changing their methods of instruction, teaching students, who have not yet learned social skills, how to use a computer before approaching their classmates.

Technology is a good tool for people, but with limits. Something I believe would make our relationship with technology better is having less screen time, as well as trying to find activities that connect us with loved ones and friends, to get back to socializing with people in person rather than on screen.