The technical progress of humankind has been rapidly developing for the last century. This development has greatly influenced all spheres of human life, from industry to social and personal relations. However, as it often happens, the advancement of technology has brought a lot of negative effects and consequences along with the positive ones. In some cases the benefits of technology outweigh the drawbacks that come along. Unfortunately, this rule does not work for the sphere of personal relations and marriage. The introduction of new means of communication provided by the World Wide Web has negatively affected this area of interpersonal relations. This problem occurs because the internet offers its users access to almost any existing information online, including different types of social networks, online dating sites and, of course, resources with adult content. Although overuse of technology negatively impacts the marriage relationships, the effect can be minimized by means of self-restrict on the use of devices.
According to Kerner (2013), “Gadgets have the potential to tear couples apart.” In particular, a number of different institutions have conducted researches and experiments on the influence of technology on marriage and personal relations. Most of their conclusions seem to be rather negative. A good example can be provided just by analyzing the use of a smartphone, one of the most common devices nowadays. The studies prove that smartphones tend to cause a serious affliction to social media and generally distract attention, being always in the vicinity of use (Kerner, 2013). As a result, people pay more attention to their mobile phone rather than their partner, regardless of the situation. This factor causes tension and distrust in personal relations because individuals begin to think that their partner acts less empathetic to their concerns (Kerner, 2013). This example works not only for smartphones but also for other gadgets, such as tablets or laptops.
The addiction caused by the internet resources is not the only problem of modern technology since, drawing upon Evans (2014), the most negative effect of technology on marriage is the temptation it provides.. The essential part of any marriage or serious relations is trust in the partner. Nonetheless, modern technology offers too many tools to distract a person from the right path. These tools include online dating resources with strictly adult content. According to Evans (2014), “The other ugly sides of technology include using cell phones and e-mail to sustain extramarital relationships, or using online chat rooms to find and build new relationships which can lead to emotional affairs.” Therefore, it is easy to cheat on the existing partner. This temptation can be extremely difficult to resist, especially for people who crave new emotions, lack moral principles or have weak will (Evans, 2014).
Despite the negative effect of technology on marriage, there are some ways to overcome the problem. In my opinion, the most effective way to do so is self-restrict the use of gadgets. It is a good idea to put away all devices and spend more time with the partner. In addition, it would be wise not to restrict access to different accounts or internet resources so the partner could see that there is nothing wrong hidden from him or her. In this way, it would greatly increase the mutual trust and bring the sense of empathy.
To sum up, the effect of technology on marriage has caused serious problems in personal relations. Sadly, overuse of devises can spoil personal relations in many ways and has given new opportunities to cheat on the partner in marriage. Hence, it is essential to build a healthy attitude towards technology and the opportunities it offers in order to save the moral principles of human society and protect the institution of marriage.
References
- Evans, B. (2011). Unplug your marriage. Retrieved from http://www.marriagetoday.com/unplug-your-marriage/
- Kerner, I. (2013, January 10). Your smartphone may be powering down your relationship. CNN. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/10/health/kerner-social-relationship/