Communication technologies are key to the globalization processes in which we are all immersed. They are also crucial for understanding the transformation of lifestyles. Needless to say, the rapid growth and propagation of new technologies can only be explained because of the benefits they bring to our lives:
- Access to all sorts of information such that traditional/official sources are continually challenged by newer ones
- Facilitation of interpersonal and professional communication that allows us to overcome some of the boundaries presented by physical distance
- Synchronization of the interests of distant individuals– so important to the channeling of cultural and political reactions
There are, however two sides to the technology coin. Most significantly, these technologies are changing our mental habits in significant ways by way of three main developments:
- A continual acceleration of life, which can negatively impact work quality and personal relations.
- The revolution-redefinition-confusion of the private and the public spheres made possible by technologies that make individuals constantly available.
- The emotional culture they promote –marked by ‘presentism’ (we live in the present instant, constantly influenced by the emotional impact of the latest piece of information, combined with a decreasing ability to foresee things ahead), illusion of knowledge (immediate access to all sources of information leads us to relativize scholarly knowledge), and a burgeoning of addictions –the internet becomes an addiction, as well as a catalyst for others.
