Is e-mail lowering the level of interpersonal communication?

Is E-mail Lowering the level of interpersonal communication? I've put the question above to remind me of the whole point of my review, as I'm going to be digressing away from part of the question. I'm no longer afraid of speaking my mind, as many of you will know by now. I'm going to look at the pro and cons first. Before I got my first computer e-mailing or "surfing the net" were mysterious words to me as I had only used an in-house computer. Instead I kept in touch with my family and friends by phone or through letters. With my family being scattered across the country this became expensive ... more

This category is for people to explain their thoughts on whether email is lowering the level of interpersonal communication and I feel quite strongly on this issue and also very qualified to write on it, since the internet has made many changes in my life, some for better, some for worse. LETS START WITH DISADVANTAGES OF EMAIL. Have you ever written a letter and then stopped and thought about what you have written and torn it up and started again. I think when it comes to difficult letters, we must have all at some time done this, being careful what we say, so as not to hurt, thinking about ... more

I'm a teenager. I've grown up with computers all my life. I often use email and instant messaging to contact people. For instance, one person, who goes to my school, I talk to online all the time. But in school, we've said about 5 words to each other. But we're starting to become better friends through msn and slowly starting to get to know each other. We're starting to talk to each other in person more. She's even agreed to come out with us some time! I think this is an example of how instant messaging and email can create friendships rather than make us into antisocial creatures. But the ... more

When e-mail began to be used widely for the first time around 6 years ago, many were predicting that it would fully replace all interpersonal communication. I think to an extent, this may be beggining to happen in the western world. Personally I don't use e-mail much at all, as all the people I need to keep in contact with, either live close to me, so that I can give them a call, or are not computer literate, in which case, I can also give them a call. I would rather pay a few pence to ring someone, and retain some personal contact, e.g. hearing that persons voice, and therefore how they are ... more

This is a review on my own views as to whether I feel that e-msil is lowerng the amount of communication on a personal level between people, which is something that I feel strongly about. In days gone by, people would just like to receive a hand written letter from another person. Something that would have taken them time to write and post; time for the postman to deliver or send, and time for you to read. It was always a joy to receive a letter by way of 'snail mail', sadly something that does not happen today very much. In today's society of 'having it now', this also includes being able to ... more