July 4, 2004
Reality trumps technology
In an interesting article, the Chicago Tribune reports on a sociologist - Ray Oldenburg and a psychology professor - John T. Cacioppo, commenting on today's connected society.
"Despite all the techno-gadgets that keep us in contact with others, places where people can relax regularly and establish connections with others are essential to our well-being. What good are they [those gadgets] at a funeral? Oldenburg said. What good are they at a wedding? What good are they when you need a helping hand physically? What good are they when you want to borrow something?"
"Phones, the Internet, instant messaging--that, for some individuals, may increase connectedness," said John T. Cacioppo, a professor of psychology at the University of Chicago who has spent more than a decade researching social isolation and loneliness. "For others it can decrease it.
It all depends on how they're used".
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