Could you figure out how much change to give a person back without a cash register or calculator telling you?

Can you honestly communicate an issue you have with someone to their face? That's right, not through email, text, twitter, or facebook, but by actually looking someone in the eye & TALKING directly to them!

I know this may be a foreign concept to many of you, which leads me to my question:

Are we so dependent on technology to think for us that our own abilities in this area are diminishing? The brain IS a muscle after all & you know what happens to a muscle when you stop using it....RIGHT???

I can figure change and have a decent conversation, but I do wish I was more quick-witted.  I tend to take time to process information, and prefer not to speak on a subject until I've really thought about it.  I hate having to say something off the cuff and then regret it later because it was poorly reasoned, incorrect, or came across as rude or unfair.  For that reason, I do like the delay that technology allows, but I would really love to be able to do it much more rapidly.

So sometimes, yes, we are too dependent on technology... but technology has also allowed us to make more and more advances in science... what a wonderful thing!!  I think it would be best to find a good balance - teach ourselves to process solo, but use technology when appropriate.

Hey there Carlos! :)

I do feel as if people are too dependent on technology. Technology can come in very handy, but it still does NOT beat face to face conversations. Body language, touch, tone, all have an impact on how we communicate with each other.

At an employee lunch, our supervisor asked us (the student workers), how kids our age "date", how relationships are. We were talking about how people text each other constantly in the beginning of a relationship. Then she made a comment, "How do you flirt through a TEXT though?!" Of course, there are those emoticons, but that's not as effective as a real smile. Another employee mentioned "Sexting" and our boss asked us what that was... I'm not gonna get into that one though. :P

In previous technology topics, I've mentioned the downfalls of technology. Honestly, I don't think we should stop advancing, but rather, we should not abuse the way we USE technology. We should use it to it's full potential of course, but we should not rely on it soley.

My friend is one of those people who definitely rely on technology way too much. When she meets a guy, she finds out his name so she can look him up on facebook and do a "background" check. -_-

I just talked to a teen client the other day about this, she is constantly on Facebook, especially during the summer break. She looked at me like I had two heads when I asked her when she had spoken to someone face to face and not online, text or the phone.....
I think that we have become way too dependent on technology....but then what are ya gonna do?

ABSOLUTLEY!

It is ridicualous how dependent our society has become on technology. I am guilty myself of this dependency, and both me and my coworker from forgot how to perform simple subtraction on a peice of paper, in order to give a customer change back. And for confrontations.. I do result to texting to avoid the intimidation factors, or awkward feeligns during an argument.
Technology is DESTROYING our society and how we interact with each other. Our reliance on technology is also destroying our earths sustainability. This past semester I had to do a project where we were prohibited to use technology for three days, except when for school purposes and emergencies. It was truly a challenge. With this project i realized that technology is one of the worst addictions that our generation has fallen into. And you are absolutly right when you said that it is destroying our abilities to think clearly. Without technology for three days, I was more focused, more productive, creative, social, and more aware of the world that surrounds me. It was not easy though to get through that "addiction" as I did end up sending a text message or too, and checked my Facebook!

Today, when I was driving in my car, following my GPS, and talking on the phone I wondered if I was too dependent on technology. I feel that recently, more and more people have become less connected with the real world and more connected with 'cyberspace'. Today, less people sit down to lunch and have a conversation without an interruption from a Smartphone buzzing on the table. Hardly anyone can go a day without posting a status on Facebook or sending out tweets or even constantly messaging their friends. While this all is very convenient and enjoyable, it makes me wonder…What would it be like if we all put down our phones and computers for a week and really lived life…a life outside of the confines of a cyber world. Maybe if we did this, we would be able to hold a conversation face to face without the risk of feeling uncomfortable. We wouldn’t have to wait for the delay of technology to keep us feeling secure in replies. Maybe, we wouldn’t all hide behind the mask of “a profile”. Maybe more people would be genuine and more honorable. I too am a fan of technology and how much easier it makes life, however, I do feel that if individuals were less dependent on it, we would live a much more ‘real’ world.

carlos...

this has been on my mind for a while, so i have to give you kudos (and applause for not using inappropriate language!!) for this forum.
the past two weeks i have been in hospital or in my flat, both without the convenience of the internet. it drives me crazy! my texting was quite active in the hospital as i kept those who i cared about in touch with what was going on. and this week, i just got to the point of frustration that i walked into my office and plugged in. one of the particulars in my contract though unwritten was a spoken agreement of having internet in my flat.

ever notice how few payphones are in existance today? i have a book showing the japanese culture in the mid 80s where there was literally a street block of public telephones all in use! the mail services are also diminsihing with time. and i realise how much i treasure the kindness of a physical card. it means a lot to me. it is so much more personal than prinitng a letter from the internet...
i also have to agree that a good conversation is lacking in our society. we put so much into the net that we dont have that face to face connection anymore. are we just names now and nothing more?? it is kind of scary how technology has snuck up and bit us in the behind...
but then i ask if technology has made our lives more convenient or like a drug a dependent?

i am for the intimate conversation any day of the week.

its just hard to find...

dabear
=)

L2L- It's ALL about balance! It's just really hard to know where to draw that line. Not everyone is blessed with quick wit, & the fact that you take the time to think things through is a sign of HIGH intelligence. Coming to the correct conclusion is MUCH more important then coming to a quick one!

Tara- ALWAYS nice to hear from you! I am torn on the whole background check issue. On one hand I get why your friend would do it, but where do you draw the line? Physical contact with other human beings is kind of a basic necessity, don't you think?

Venting- I agree, what are ya gonna do? I LOVE technology as much as the next person, I just don't think it should be a substitute for physical contact.

Melissa- Welcome to Cnet! I appreciate your insight. I don't necessarily think technology itself is destroying our society, but our misuse of it perhaps is contributing to it's decline. It's good to get a break from it sometimes though isn't it?

Hayley- Allow me to welcome you as well to Cnet! People who CONSTANTLY answer & have loud conversations on there phones at the table while others are trying to eat & talk drive me CRAZY!!! Unless it's an emergency than it can WAIT!!!

Bear- Thank you for the kudos & I don't need to rely on profanity, but I do feel that sometimes it is needed to make certain points. I remember pay phones HAHAHAHA! BTW are you all better now or are you still trying to figure out what's going on? I hope you're doing well!

I have to admit, I have been guilty of choosing to text or email someone in order to avoid confrontation. Is that bad? I do prefer to speak to someone either on the phone or in person rather than text or email. It's hard to tell a person's tone when you can't hear their voice or see their facial expressions.

I'm a people person, so I definitely prefer human contact. I do have some friends that I can only contact through text or facebook which I think is kind of sad.

I understand why she does it as well. I used facebook and myspace to look up my future roommate. I wanted to get an idea of what kind of person my roommate was. In my apartment application I had requested someone that was not a drinker/smoker/partier. I was really worried about that, not because I don't agree with people that participate. I needed someone on the quiet relaxed side so I could stay in my room and study instead of going to the library all the time.

Turns out, my roommate is a Harpist and is a Harp Performance Major! :) Which I find very interesting and I've even talked to her on facebook and she offered to teach me how to play. I'm excited to meet her because I admire anyone that plays an instrument.

My friend on the other hand goes to an extreme. She looks through pictures to see how he dresses, his wall posts to see how "smart" he is, if he seems to be well spoken, etc. I get that those are qualities she's looking for in a guy, I just think that she shouldn't rule out a guy based on how he talks or looks on facebook.