According to Dr. Kate Roberts, a Boston-based school psychologist, people who increasingly rely on technology to communicate are paying a heavy price that society is just beginning to understand. "Families text rather than have conversations. We 're living in a culture of sound bites, and that is not developing our verbal skills or our emotional intelligence," Roberts claims that “for children, in particular, relying on technology in order to communicate is actually affecting the neuro pathways of the brain, changing the ways that the brain would normally develop” (Johnson). These neurotransmitters — chemicals in the brain that relay information between nerves — are developed and expanded in a young child based upon external stimulation such as a parent 's voice, music, touch and play. But for children who spend too much time interacting through a screen, Denise Daniels, parenting expert and pediatric nurse, notes, “the neural pathways change and different ones are created” (Johnson). This affects concentration, self-esteem, and social …show more content…
Picture a group of teens, gathered together in the same room. Prior to the advent of cell phones, this coterie of youth might have actually looked at one another, picking up on social cues from body language, listening to one another and interacting. But in today’s world, everyone is an island unto themselves, fixating on their own phones, sitting next to, but not acknowledging one another, waiting for a more interesting option to come in via text or the internet rather than engaging with those who are around them. This lack of personal connection is extremely frustrating to me and often makes me feel left out and insignificant in social situations. I believe that when you are having a conversation with someone, you should give them your full attention, but it’s all too easy to tune people out and escape from real life by pulling out one’s phone. Another way in which excessive technological reliance can hinder social interaction is when people use text messages to say something that they are too afraid to say in person. A specific example of this is when a guy breaks up with a girl over text message because he does not want to face the repercussions of his actions in person. People who hide behind technology often lack courage and will only face more problems in the future if they continue down this path