Tumblr, blogs, Twitter: These are only a few of the sites that are quickly becoming our society’s way of communicating with one another. The idea that we can communicate with others without having to interact with them in person is more frightening than fascinating. With the countless ways to communicate right at our fingertips, it makes me wonder if the art of face-to-face communication will ever be the same.

Technology is advancing faster and in ways that people never thought imaginable; and it has no intention of slowing down. Today we are able to share every aspect of our lives over the Internet. Blogs and tumblrs have become the online journals and diaries of the world, allowing bloggers and posters to share whatever they please. Why are we able to share intimate details of our lives with millions via the Internet, but can’t seem to share them with the people we interact with daily?

It’s this fantasized idea of one “finding his or her voice” or wanting to impact someone that is the ultimate driving factor. As humans, we desire to be vulnerable and guarded at the same time. Ironically, as people strive to find their voices by joining these sites, they become numb to their reality of remaining silent.

The fact is we are a generation fueled by technology. Twitter updates, iPhone apps and blog posts are our main sources of information. We want to be “in the know” and “up to date” with the latest and greatest.

Communicating with each other face-to-face is fading fast and the sad thing is, people are OK with that. Reality is slowly becoming something that we can bend or skew with our unlimited access to these sites. Our generation seems to be at the crossroads of what we view as reality and how we review reality via technology.

So why should we care about this? The art of conversation and communicating with people face-to-face is crucial. At the end of the day, we take more away from our actual conversations than we do from reading one another’s Twitter updates and Facebook statuses. I agree they are immediate forms of communication, allowing our lives to continue at a fast pace; however, they are stripping us of meaningful interactions with people.

Whether we like it or not, the art of communication is fading due to Facebook, Twitter and blogs that portray a false sense of reality. The security of “hiding” behind our pages and posts is the main attraction to these sites. Our generation has the power to take technology to the next level; however, we also have to power to preserve the impact of a conversation with another person.

I fear for the generations after us that will not understand the concept of communicating with another human being without technology as their guide. I hope that even with the ever-powerful technology we can still appreciate and understand what it means to be real with people face-to-face. The false sense of reality conveyed behind technology is far too dangerous not to be aware of. I hope we are able to preserve and appreciate the art of communicating without technology for what it is.

Taylor Johnson is a communication studies and sports management double major. She can be reached for comments or questions at [email protected].