An understanding of how changes in technology impact on the way humans communicate, and the ethical

Technology is always upgrading and getting better and faster. The ways in which we communicate has been radically changed since the introduction of the internet and the widespread use of mobile technology. Being part of the tech savvy generation who always seems to be on my phone I feel as if perhaps the social media I use to communicate with the world is in fact more like an anti-social media. As technology advances and our means of communication become more efficient, long distance and overall more capable, the negative byproduct of this would inevitably be less physical interactions between ourselves.

One emerging technology which seeks to change the way in which technology is used for communication is the amazing world of virtual reality. I recently read an article that said Facebook had purchased one of the world's largest VR companies in aim to promote a new form of virtual social media. If this technology eventually becomes the new norm for society then I am somewhat on the edge on whether such technology will bring us closer together or create a generation of zombies locked away in their rooms with a virtual headset strapped to their skull and living a virtual life in order to escape the beautiful and real world.

Another ethical issue I find with the emergence and advancement of technology comes from the film “her” where a man falls in love with his operating system’s artificial intelligence program (just like a really advanced version of SIRI on iPhone). If technology reaches such a level (I’m sure some day in the near future it will be) then the need for human interaction and relationships can be directly affected as a result.

Although the advancement of technology is greatly beneficial to society and the level of communication and connectivity we have with one another will be greatly expanded, I felt as if it has the potential to bring up controversial issues regarding what we deem socially normal or accepted. Will these advancements lead us on an enlightened and unified path of information and communication bliss or will it ultimately lead to an acceptance of a technological taboo and rise more social issues?