Does Technology Make Us Anxious Socially?
Has the convenience that technology given to us also hindered us from overcoming social anxiety? Has technology made managing social anxiety even more difficult by placing a virtual wall between human interaction and physical contact? The fact is that the Internet acts as a buffer between people. Living in the age of the Internet, cell phone, email, messaging, online social sites and caller ID, makes it easier for a socially anxious person to avoid managing social situations and by that make it difficult to overcome social anxiety disorder.
The advanced technology has made it possible for people to make a living, go shopping, use services, and have “relationships” without ever seeing or directly interacting with another person. The high-tech society of today seems to cater to the person who suffers from social anxiety. Eventually, living in this virtual world can be detrimental and deeply unsatisfying.
Technology is like a fine wine. A glass of wine a day is good for you. However, if you drink too much, it can kill brain cells and also can cause liver problems. Technology, like wine, can affect your relationships if you take in too much of it and let it control your life.
It is great to have friends from all over the world that I’ve never met and probably never will, but I think it can also limit your growth when it comes to getting past the reality of shyness and social anxiety. It is important to understand that technology is a tool that can be helpful, but we need to use it wisely and apply what we learn with it, to the outside world. We have to make sure we don’t use technology as a crutch to avoid physical and mental social interaction.
Please visit author, Moshe Ratson at his Google+ Profile:+Moshe Ratson
