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Human Relations Declined Due To The Communication Technologies Advancement Introduction, Problem Statement and Scope Technologically man has made tremendous communication technologies advancements. From humble beginnings last century with the Industrial Revolution, now we have come to the stage where we have invented and built so many gadgets that our human relations can be declined and threatened by them. We communicate with one another with increased ease and efficiency. All it takes is the pressing on a few buttons and we are able to talk to anyone almost anywhere in the world. Technologies connect peoples around the world without any barriers and problems. It makes these relation becomes easy and fast and in the same time it saves our time and money and make our life more effective and efficiency. The communication technologies become more moderate and advancement. But everything in this world has its opposite. This is an avoidable fact of life. All these new technologies can decline our human relations. The uses of communication technologies are many, such as computer, internet, TV, PDA and telephone. As a means of communications, there is virtually nothing to match it. News that took month to travel from one place to another now takes just a fraction of a second, and minus the distorting factor of human messengers. We dont have to go to overseas to watch the Europe League Football. With it we can watch a football match thousands of miles away by switch on the TV. Just press some digit numbers on the phone; we can communicate people over there. We are not only better informed of current events all over the world but we are also exposed to a multitude of different cultures and ways of life. The impact of this improved communication technologies on our live are great indeed. It provides

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us with much knowledge. But used carelessly, these technologies can reduce us to nonthinking entities. People become lazy both in physical and mental laziness.

Technology and Human

The advancement of communication technologies make people lazy. Lazy to cook, just ordered it by phoning to the fast food restaurant. Only within a few minutes, the food will arrive to you. These modern technologies can cause physical laziness. Beside that, mental laziness can occur too. Student dont have to go to library to do their research, just open the internet, everything is there. Businessman dont have to make a calculation, computer will make for them.

We cannot deny that technology has improved the quality of our live immeasurably. A journey to anywhere on the globe now takes merely hours by aero plane, whereas it may have taken many years to do so before. Modern computers have infiltrated into all aspects of business, governments and even at home. City traffic is controlled by computers. Airlines booking and air-traffic is also computer controlled. A flick of the television switch gives us news, sports and entertainment in glorious color. Modern methods of cooking do not leave dirty messes behind. For the even more lazy ones, fast-food are always available, some twenty four hours services a day. Just give a call and the food will arrive to you.

All the advancements can give an effect to human relations. With tremendous advance communication technologies, people become more independent. They dont think and bother about other people thinking and feeling. It influences human relationships. The

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nature of human relations is evolutionary. It changes over time as our society adjusts to our ever-changing environment.

These changes can be positive or negative, and sometimes necessary changes have both positive and negative consequences on our lives. It seems that the overall nature of current human relations can best be determined by examining human interaction in a few key areas. Interaction in the workplace, the school, and the home, as well as interaction among strangers, can be analyzed to provide an accurate description.

There are many factors that can have an effect on our interaction in each of these settings. The workplace is an environment in which there is generally a high degree of personal interaction. Recent technological advances have made it much easier for people to communicate with one another.

Technology Revolution and Effect

The emergence of the Internet in the 1990's has forever changed the way that people will interact with one another. E-mail has become a way to connect with co-workers anywhere in the world. No longer is one confined to only communicating with people in their department or office.

The increasing popularity of cellular phones had also changed human relations. One can now be reached virtually anytime, anywhere. Although technology has made human relations easier in the workplace, it has also decreased the amount of face-to-face interaction. People are relying immensely on technology and it has become simply

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easier to send an e-mail to someone than to physically go and talk to them. Technology has also created the virtual workplace, where people can work from the confines of their own home. This has drastically reduced the amount of personal interaction between workers. This new type of workplace is only in its beginning phase and will continue to gain popularity in the next millennium.

The cultural diversity of the typical workplace has increased greatly over the last decade. This increase in diversity has come from a couple of sources. First, many companies were forced to diversify to comply with equal opportunity laws. Second, companies began to discover that people from different ethnic backgrounds were helpful in working with a wide spectrum of customers. Regardless of the reasons, this increasing diversity in the workforce has caused a change in human interaction. People are now being exposed to others with many different cultural backgrounds, beliefs and customs. This has forced people to expand their horizons and learn the proper ways to relate to people from other cultures. Many times language barriers exist, and it can be difficult to establish effective communication.

Diversity has, for the most part, improved human relations within the workplace. It has made people friendlier towards others who are different and helped them to develop and improve the way they interact with co-workers. Unfortunately, not all workplace interaction is changing for the better. The threat of violence has been an increased concern for many companies. Homicide is the leading cause of death in the finance, insurance, and real estate industries (Curry, 96). Violence in the workplace is blamed for the decreasing quality of human relations in many companies.

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In the past, many people considered their co-workers as a kind of extended family, which gave them a sense of security. In today's workplace, however, layoffs and downsizing have taken away that family feeling. Workers today feel as though they are just one part of a machine, and could easily be replaced. This has degraded the quality of personal interaction in the workplace. A co-worker who at one time may have been like a brother to you is now a competitor who could easily replace you. This feeling has lessened the friendliness between workers and has led to increased workplace violence.

The workplace is not the only institution in which we have seen an increase of violence in the 1990s. It seems that this trend toward violent behavior is crossing the generation gaps and invading our schools as well. Too often we are seeing children inflicting harm on other students in what should be a safe and supportive environment. The shootings at Columbine high school in Littleton, Colorado last year sent shock waves through the nation, and made it clear that school violence should be an issue of concern. Just recently, a six year old boy in Michigan shot and killed a fellow classmate at school. The fact that this first grade boy had access to a gun, and the will to use it to harm another student, shows that children of all ages are aware of this trend toward violent behavior in our society.

Schools today are changing in many of the same ways as the workplace. Advancing technology and growing diversity are having an impact on the environment of schools across the nation. These aspects of change are having many positive influences on the quality of education available to our students. Advances in computers and the internet make limitless amounts of information accessible to students. Cultural diversity in schools helps children to learn at a young age that there are many things that can be

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learned from other people's cultures. These changes are very important to society as a whole because they indicate that future generations will be more accepting of differences and better able to accommodate others. These social skills that children learn at school have a strong impact on how they will relate to others throughout their lives. Nearly everyday people face situations in which they interact with strangers. These interactions are very common, since one naturally meets new people while going about one's daily routine. The nature of human relations between strangers is complex and dependent upon certain situations. Most of the time these interactions are polite or at the least non-committal. Unfortunately, there seems to be a trend in recent times towards distrust and outright violence in a growing percentage of these daily social interactions. An example is road rage, or aggressive driving, becoming more and more prevalent in our society. Dr. Arnold Nerenberg of Clinic Well-Being, who has established a road rage web site, claims that twenty eight thousand people died in 1996 because of aggressive driving. It is estimated that over two billion episodes of road rage occur each year. This is evidence that strangers are relating to one another in violent ways, but it has not become totally pervasive yet.

Thankfully we still see many situations where drivers are courteous to one another, either by letting someone merge into traffic or by waving another driver to go ahead at a four way stop sign. Besides those interactions strangers experience while driving, there are other incidents that show the complexity of these situations. There are many incidents seen on the news stations that show horrific, violent events.

For instance, in Minnesota, there was recently a kidnapping and potential murder of a young woman named Katie Poirer. While she was working at a gas station, a man not

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known to Katie abducted her by gun point. Her whereabouts are still unknown, but what is known is that this is not an isolated event.

There are many children kidnapped each year in the United States. There are many other personal incidents that show that violence is becoming very prevalent in our society. While Craig was at the Red Carpet bar with his friends he witnessed a potential violent situation. His friend happened to look around the bar and made eye contact with a man who was glaring at him. The friend nodded his head to this stranger in polite acknowledgement. The man responded by asking, Do you want something in a very belligerent tone. Craig's friend knew that this person was looking for a fight and did not want to get involved in this type of situation.

This is just one example of the growing amount of unprovoked aggression. Even though these examples of random violence seem to be increasing at an alarming rate, things are not yet hopeless. In theory, people should be able to trust one another to be civil, even as complete strangers, and many times they can. Another trend in society today is situations in which people perform random acts of kindness.

Human Adaptation

There was a movement in the 1990's to practice random acts of kindness, utilizing television, radio and billboards to spread the message of caring and consideration of others. Oprah Winfrey's television talk show had several segments on this topic, and there is now a web site devoted to the issue of being kind to strangers. Perhaps the most promising sign that there may still be hope is the overwhelming change in attitudes we

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see during the Christmas season. This is a time when people give gifts and money to those less fortunate, go caroling door to door to bring good cheer, and say Merry Christmas even to people they do not know. Relations between strangers are different in face-to-face situations as opposed to interactions via technology. When strangers meet in person, they are likely to quickly make eye contact and then look away.

According to William Gudykunst and Young Yun Kim, this situation can be explained because in communication we seek to reduce uncertainty. Communication with strangers involves relatively greater degrees of uncertainty thus people may feel higher levels of anxiety (www.colorado.edu). This may explain the growing number of people who are choosing to interact with strangers via Internet chat rooms. In this situation there is no face-to-face contact, so people do not have to worry about how they are perceived if they were to make a mistake. Anxiety is reduced, making this interaction between strangers easier. Another important area that has seen changes in the 1990s is the structure and role of the family. In today's environment the traditional family as it was known in the past is no longer the norm.

There are many factors contributing to the increasing number of non-traditional families. The ease of obtaining a divorce and the increase in teenage pregnancies have led to smaller families and more single parent families. Many single parents are overwhelmed with the responsibilities of raising a child, and in some cases the parent is still a teenager, and not yet mature themselves. Another growing non-traditional family type is a result of inter-racial marriages.

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This is a result of the growing diversity in our society, and is a positive sign of the growing acceptance of differences. Unfortunately, problems may arise in these families because of the mix of different cultural customs and values. There may also be disapproval and/or disrespect from other family members. Sometimes a bi-racial couple can be torn apart by pressures from a racist father and/or mother. Many mixed children have problems at school because they don't know where they fit in at school and may be teased by other students. Not only is the structure of the typical family changing, but the way children are being raised is changing as well. It has been referred to as a decline in family values by many people and is often an issue of political debate. The bottom line is that the dynamics of family interaction are changing, and the result is increased turbulence within the family unit.

These changing dynamics include decreased quality and quantity of communication, decreased interaction and interest in the lives of other family members, and decreased ability of parents to manage and control the behavior of their children. Parents today are timid to punish their children physically because they are afraid that the child may claim child abuse. The current trend is to seek alternative approaches, such as counseling, as a way to alter behavior. Therefore many parents end up unable to discipline their children and let them do as they please. Parents need to be involved in their children's lives and encourage schoolwork and involvement in extracurricular activities. Parents that show an interest in their child's life will have a child that is more likely to develop good morals and make good decisions. Many of the problem children in our society are getting into trouble to gain attention because they lack this attention from their own families. These changes in the typical family seem to be a major factor in the general decline in the nature of human relations. Without a strong family support

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system, children are growing up with weaker morals and increased susceptibility to peer pressure and violent or anti-social tendencies.

The typical family has changed so much recently that it is difficult to avoid these problems. Family members are busy, schedules are hectic, and quality family interaction is consequently diminished. Rarely is it easy to get the family together for an activity as simple as dinner. Public service announcement commercials can be seen on TV reminding parents to talk to their children. When TV is needed to remind us that family interaction is important, it is obvious that there is a problem. This brings us to another important cause of the current decline of human relations, namely the influence of television and the media. The issue of increasing violence in the media has become a heavily debated topic. Many people argue that the trend toward violence throughout society is caused, or at least encouraged by the violence we are exposed to in movies and television programs.

Television manufacturers have recently installed a V-chip in television sets to help prevent young children from watching violent programs. Still, the parents have to be proactive in their children's viewing habits, because the TV needs to be programmed or monitored on what shows are suitable for children. A recent investigation on the influence of violence through TV programs showed that children behave differently after watching a violent program versus a non-violent program.

The two programs that were contrasted in the investigation were The Power Rangers and Barney, two popular children's' shows. The test took place in a daycare setting. As the children were shown the Barney video, they were singing and dancing along with

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the purple dinosaur. However, when the video of the Power Rangers was shown, the group of children began imitating the roles of the characters, kicking and punching at each other and showing an increase in violent behavior.

This is just one example suggesting that the more that children are exposed to violent behavior, the more likely it is that they will act upon the behavior they have seen. As these children grow up being continually exposed to violent images, it may have an overall effect on the way they relate to others, including strangers. Other explanations exist as to why there is violence among strangers. One explanation is the diverse population of the United States. Our communication with strangers is influenced by the groups to which we belong. As a part of our socialization into these groups we are taught to avoid people from certain other groups. Because there is less acceptance among people of different cultures, problems may arise. Violence may also be attributed to the value that our culture places on individualism. Because people are focused on their own concerns, they are less likely to help others. This then creates a cyclical effect, in which people believe they are not cared about, and consequently are less likely to care about others.

This seems to be the overwhelming trend that is changing the nature of human relations in the new millennium; that people just care less about each other. Not only is this affecting interaction between strangers, but also interaction with those that we consider

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friends. Friendships are becoming more superficial, due to a variety of reasons. People change jobs more often and families move away, leading to shorter lengths of relationships and an inability to develop deep friendships. People find themselves with many acquaintances and fewer true friends. All of the issues that we have addressed are obvious areas of concern, but can they be considered problems? Changes in diversity and technology have many positive impacts on our society and the way we interact with one another.

There may also be a few negative impacts, but these trends really are not problems. On the other hand, the increase in violence in seemingly all venues of our society, along with the decrease in family values and communication, are clearly problems that need to be addressed. Unfortunately, there is no simple or realistic answer to these problems. These issues can only be dealt with on a personal level, each individual doing his/her part for the greater good of society. We must take it upon ourselves to be accepting of others, avoid violent behavior, and raise or contribute to our families in positive and nurturing ways

According to paleontological research, the evolution of the human species from hominid to Homo sapiens spans a period of about three million years. A unique feature of the evolution of life is the development of the human brain, both in size and complexity. At a certain stage of evolution, neurological changes in the brain structure may have triggered off responses to external stimuli resulting in the first primate using a bone or a stick to supplement the hand in foraging for food. Hands and feet are naturally endowed tools. It can be inferred that technology, or the making and use of tools, is nearly as old as man. The evolution of technology is therefore the result of

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deliberate human action; the unfolding over time of the creative spirit of man. But in the last five decades of the present century, technology has developed at a pace unprecedented in history. New techniques following each other in rapid succession have left the mind of man baffled and stupefied. There is hardly any sphere of human activity that has not felt its impact, the destructive and negative impact often outweighing the positive. The inability to grasp the long-term implications of this phenomenon to the human species, and to life as a whole, is at the root of many problems confronting humankind today. It is therefore the moral responsibility of philosophers, scientists, theologians, policy-makers and administrators to help harness technology to ensure the preservation and enhancement of life in the widest sense of the term. This is a challenge that calls for a fundamental re-orientation of the entire educational system and its revision, as the theme of this conference seems to indicate.

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Conclusion And Suggestion

In the first part of this presentation, we propose to dwell briefly on technology as ascending from lower to higher levels, followed by a discussion of other fields of human activity which are characterized by a fluctuating, up-down movement, and subsequently deal with proposals for the restructuring of the educational system. Whether the advent of technology is viewed as being accidental or purposeful does not materially effect our line of thinking. What is pertinent is its implications for the future direction of human affairs. With the use of tools, human evolution took a great leap forward. Thence-forth the development of technology has throughout been on an ascending scale. This is a point we wish to stress, since the tendency is not evident in other fields of human activity, as we shall attempt to show later on in this presentation.

In lower animals we see evidence of building skills at a very rudimentary level and even the use of tools, but this ability has remained wholly static, instinctive and genetically programmed. There is no evidence of progression. In humankind, technology has developed from the crude to the highly complex, passing through the stone, copper, bronze and iron ages to mechanization, automation, computerization in modern times-ascendant progression all the way with a breathtaking burst of speed in the last five decades. But we do not see the same progression in other fields of human activity manifested in social, economic and political systems and institutions. Here we do not see progression from the lower to the higher, but what I would refer to as progression regression syndrome periods of progress alternating with periods of decline. Let us identify a few such fields and pinpoint their progress and decline during

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the period of recorded history, politics, diplomacy, war and peace, human rights and culture.

As far as political systems are concerned, we see the relatively advanced theory and practice of democracy, the elective principal and republicanism in ancient Greece and India. There exist authentic records of the righteousness of rulers in Islamic and Christian countries. In between, we have periods of unmitigated authoritarianism, exemplified by the marauding Assyrians, Tartars, Huns and in modern military dictatorships, when life and death depend on the whims of one man or a dominant group. The norms of behavior of rulers then and now are determined not so much by moral considerations but largely by the material interests of individuals and groups. Thus expediency appears to be the guiding principle. It is the same with inter-state relations. Diplomacy then and to a large extent now, is directed to secure and safeguard the interest of dominant countries evoking similar behavior on the part of adversaries.

Moral considerations, though avowed, play only a marginal role. It must be said in parenthesis that nascent international environment diplomacy has great promise for the future since it is based not on expediency but on moral principles. In the conduct of war and peace and the migration of peoples, periods of relative peace and calm have alternated with periods of war and conflict, some lasting for as long as one hundred

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years or more. There have been periods during the last six thousand years, as in Asokan India, when human rights were honored both in word and deed, alternating with periods when repression of the worst form were the norms. Finally, let us consider culture. The mind of man has found expression in the realistic cave drawings of prehistoric man, in song and dance, music and drama, painting and sculpture of exquisite beauty of form and grace, in widely removed periods of history and prehistory, with periods of decadence and decline in between.

These examples provide evidence for our contention that in all fields, other than technology, the outstanding fact is the operation of the progression- regression syndrome. Technology has been the willing handmaid both during periods of progress and of decline. With technology literally exploding in our faces, today the implications of this contradiction to the future of the human race become all too evident. The challenge before us is to ensure an uninterrupted progression in the functioning of political, economic and social systems, in the maintenance of peace, the protection of human rights and cultural pursuits, in each of which technology must play a progressive, never regressive, role.

It is towards this end that the restructuring of education became imperative, in order to keep pace with the impact of technology. The significance of such a restructuring lies in the preparation and development of the mind to understand the ultimate purpose of technology, as explained in the objectives of the International University of the Bio Environment. In the words of Dr. Agni Vlavianos-Arvanitis, President and Founder of the B.I.O., it is fundamental to bringing about a change from "the present inverted pyramid state of society, in which technology hovers on an unstable base in the air as it

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were, to a balanced society of the future, where technology will stand on a firmly grounded base with human rights occupying its stable summit."

Contemporary educational practice based on conflicting value systems condones, if not actually encourages, the use of technology for narrow partisan ends, making conflicts more difficult to resolve. Such conflicts, be they religious or political in origin, constitute, directly or indirectly, major threats to the environment. The raging Kuwaiti oil fires was a case in point. The role of the educators at all levels is to help formulate a unifying value system where technology is directed towards the improvement of life and the preservation of the bio-environment.

Contrary to expectations, automation, computerisation, the information re-volution and the tremendous potential of bio-technology have affected only marginally the quality of life of peoples in the developing countries. No attempt has been made to understand their ethical implications. The approach to conflict resolution, in which ethics should play a significant role, is based on expediency, with technology serving shortsighted sectarian interests with all its attendant consequences. The importance of basing education on a new unifying value system is seen clearly in the potential for both good and evil of genetic engineering. If the use of the new technology is not based on moral principles, then the consequences will be disastrous to humanity and to life on the planet. It is the responsibility of all concerned to lay down the correct guidelines based on universally recognized norms of moral conduct.

I have had the occasion to refer to the progression-regression syndrome in all fields other than technology. All round progression can be achieved only through the

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application of moral, ethical and humane values in all human relations in the spheres of politics, economics and diplomacy. Having dealt with the moral implications of the question, we wish to discuss briefly the level of awareness of people, since technology impinges on their lives at every turn. Ignorance of implications places them at a disadvantage, since they can be imposed upon.

Therefore people at all levels must be taught the rudimentary skills needed for living in the complex world of today. Hence a case can be made for the inclusion of `functional technology literacy' in both formal and non-formal education. This is indeed a challenging proposition, since nearly one fifth of the world's five billion population is illiterate. This brings up the important issue of resolving, without delay, all conflicts, local, regional and global. The resulting peace dividend in the form of savings from disarmament can be utilized to finance programmes and projects to eliminate illiteracy in all its forms. As a corollary, `conflict resolution' as a subject should figure prominently in the curriculum at all levels.

The next logical step in the process of education is methodology. Learning by doing has long been recognized as the most effective method of teaching. It stimulates student's interest and is a challenge to the ingenuity of the teacher. But traditional methods still find favor for both teaching and examination purposes. The widespread resort to the problem-solving, activity method, progressing from environmental studies at elementary level to research work at tertiary level, is the most effective way of understanding the impact of technology and countering its adverse effects.

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Curriculum planning at the primary, secondary and tertiary level should have a compulsory provision for the inclusion of suitable projects for implementation by students, with the emphasis being placed on the integrated multi-disciplinary approach to learning and teaching. Money spent on such projects will be cost effective and productive with immediate benefits to the community. Involvement in such projects will help produce research scientists and administrators capable of making a positive contribution to the preservation of the bio-environment.

The restructuring of education incorporating the above components in both formal and non-formal education will have a far-reaching impact on peoples, values and attitudes and bring nearer to realization the objectives of the Biopolitics International Organisation. I may add that these components should be meaningfully integrated with the curricula and programs of all educational and other institutions, both clerical and secular. At this critical moment, what is called for is not a superficial revision but an overall re-orientation of the entire system, if the progression-regression syndrome is to be transformed into one of continuous progression in all areas of human endeavor.

What parents do not realize is that, because of the great amount of time the children spent with these gadgets unsupervised instead of socializing, they turned out to be the type of people who only focused on their own concerns and they are less likely to help others. They are getting too used to it and sometimes abuse it that they forget that they have real lives to live. They are also forgetting how they did it in the old days with just manual labor and they only depended on themselves and other people to get things done.

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