Has it ever occurred to you that we were all once cavemen who could not really communicate much? Back then, if we wanted to talk to someone who lived quite a long way from you, you couldn’t really communicate and socialize much. Now, with the click of a button, you can communicate with so many people, whether it may be the web or the phone. With having technology created, there has been a myriad of arguments stating that technology is an antagonist of social life. There have been claims, also, stating that technology does promote being social. As a result of two opposing sides, many have tried to prove each other wrong. Technology is not only the cradle of our world, but also it gives us more motivation to be more social.

Technology helps you to expand your social self. Many people in the world, including me, have an account on a socializing website. The website is called Facebook. With the creation of Facebook and many other types of socializing websites, many people are using the internet to express themselves and socialize with many other people, and understand them more. For example, I have a Facebook and a lot of my friends got to know me and who I actually am, from my Facebook. Many of the internet, “ Users have the potential to “meet” a virtually unlimited number of people through chat rooms, bulletin boards, and other services. Ongoing online relationships can then be formed. Consequently, one’s “social circle” can be considerably expanded” (Coget and Yutaka 1). There also is a social get together ,“ Once a month, playlist hosts iPod D.J. nights at a London bar. On these nights, the guests are the entertainment. ‘Individuals use a personal technology and make it a social event’” (Harris 1).

Many people believe that technology will make a person less social. They claim that the use of the internet does carry a negative influence on people’s social skills. This claim is false, because I am a frequent user of the internet, and I know that I am a very sociable person. I also have a lot of friends. A lot of the interviewers, who interview kids claimed that, “ They also have reported spending less time talking with their families, experiencing more daily stress, and feeling more lonely and depressed” (Affonso 1). Affonso implies the fact that having the use of technology will make a person less social, this proves to be a hasty generalization. This is a hasty generalization, because not everyone who uses the internet makes you less social. Affonso also uses selective sampling, because he only told us that there were 169 people interviewed. There is no information regarding the kids.
I certainly acclaim that my friends and I, who are big users of the cell phone and internet are definitely not feeling lonely and spending time away from our families.

Some people conclude that the use of iPods cause you to become less interactive with people, and become “hooked” to your device. Many people argue that when using your iPod, you become more of a restraint towards socializing with people. Krystle Song writes that the interaction between people is slowly going down due to the use of technology, and added to that, this will carry on detrimental effects on the way people act around each other. This conclusion results in a slippery slope. Krystle thinks with all of this going on, it will eventually turn into a chain reaction. According to some of the people who oppose technology, “Visible from a good distance away, white earphones signal one thing to most people: don’t bother trying to talk to me. iPods are a major deterrent to conversation, with it becoming increasingly acceptable to converse while still listening to the iPod” (Song 1). I consider this claim to be completely false, because I have always listened to my iPod and am always willing to chat with anyone who walks by.

Many people come to the conclusion that non-internet users are more sociable and outgoing than internet users. According to the investigation on internet and non-internet users, all of the non-internet users outnumber the internet users in going to parties, socializing, conversing, calling people, going to sporting events, and cultural events (Nie and Hillygus 1). Nie and Hillygus’s chart has some selective sampling. They don’t give other information about other events than the ones listed. These are just a few events, that include being social. Also, all the kids in the world who use the internet are not all less social than the non-internet users. There could be more internet users being social, then non-internet users being social. For example, my cousin is not very social at all. My cousin does not use the internet, but I do, and in reality I am a more social person.

In conclusion, many people use technology to be social and practically can’t live with out it. There always will remain the argument whether technology is a promoter of being social, or technology is a detriment for being social. Technology is one of the biggest successes of our world. Technology also has given us many opportunities to express our selves and be social in the biggest ways, like the use of the internet and the cell phone. Many people should appreciate the invention of technology, because without it, some people would not even be married. The invention of many websites, like Match.com, is sometimes the sole reason people are together. Technology always will always be a great way of expressing your self and acting social.