“Americans are more digitally connected than ever before”

            I agree that “Americans are more digitally connected than ever before” especially the younger generations.   I know that I am much more digitally connected than my mom and my grandparents.  There are definitely pros and cons to this fact.  Marc Dunkleman talked about a subject that I had not heard of before called the middle ring.  He said that this is where relationships are lost because it is here that we learn to understand people who have different and various points of view.  We learn this when we have face-to-face communication with people like our neighbors.  I can see where interacting with neighbors and other people in the middle ring helps us to learn other’s ideas and come to value them, even if we do not agree with them.  Later, it was pointed out by Susan Tinker, that texting or emailing is an easy way out in order avoid confrontations and to express things anonymously.  I have found this to be true in my small town.  I am not friends on Facebook with people in my town because they get mean on the Internet.  Instead of saying things to your face, they broadcast bad things over Facebook.              I found it interesting that many people struggle to have face-to-face communications.  I, personally, enjoy talking face-to-face with people.  However, I also love to communicate digitally and I communicate this way frequently.   I agree that it has become easier just to text someone instead of look them up to have a conversation.   I was surprised about the effects on health which can take place due to a lack of face-to-face communication.  Susan Tinker said that just seeing a person helps us fight off disease, helps our memory, and helps us to live longer.  Interactions with people are important for a variety of reasons.  I also found it interesting that actually talking to someone tends to reduce stress.   I agree that it is not only digital connections which keep us from spending time with others.  There are other factors such as television and many other things that take up our time each day.  Another interesting concept was that of the Internet creating isolation.  I can see where this can happen in some instances but I do not agree that it is always the case.

            Yes, digital connections have created both good and bad effects for on different relationships.  They can keep us more closely tied to those we love the most, yet there are significant relationship costs.  I believe that they are here to stay and we will just have to find ways to compensate and help solve the problems which come with this type of communication.  I enjoyed learning about these effects.