Technology today and social interaction

Is your smart phone making you lonely?

As the cell phone turns 40 years old, you might think that the technology has brought people closer together, but new research shows it can leave us feeling disconnected. Barbara Fredrickson, professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina, Nick Bilton, technology columnist at the New York Times, and Sherry Turkle, a psychology professor at MIT, discuss the pros and cons of mobile phones.

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50144131n

Some specific quotes of interest to me:

"Texting gives us the feeling that we can hide from each other, we can construct our texts to be who we want to be. We can create a self where we can hide in plain sight."

"If you don't teach your children how to be alone, they'll only know how to be lonely."

"You get the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship."

"Friends don't let friends lose their capacity for humanity."

Benefits of face-to-face communication:

• Triggers feel-good hormones
• Strengthens brain-heart connection
• Lowers blood pressure
• Boosts immune system

I found this entire segment very interesting, especially as a business owner with employees that have grown up with cell phones in their hands and seem to have difficulty in the business world helping customers in face-to-face situations. We are actually starting some training specifically in building confidence and communication skills. I am actually excited about this and will be participating in the training as well.