In the past 25 years, there has been a plethora of technological advancements. Soon after the personal computer and Internet hit the market, interest in and sales of these products sky-rocketed. These products have led to the development of many new channels of communication including Instant Messenger, chat rooms, and, of course, e-mail. Many people simply view these inventions as new means by which we can interact with one another. The question must be asked, however, if this is really improving the way we communicate or it is actually causing us to be more isolated.

"We’re not really sure," John Sullivan, a professor in the science and technology department said. "In my own research, I learned that plenty of people were reluctant to engage in online communication, and they would say that they preferred to define communication as human-to-human contact."

Sullivan noted that there is research suggesting that increased computer use reduces social interaction and increases psychological depression. We are social creatures by nature, and when our social activity decreases, our society as whole suffers from it. This indicates that there may, in fact, be a "dark side" to the technology that most people tend to ignore—a side that might lead people to be less social.

The problem seems quite apparent here at RPI, where laptops are a requirement for students and social activities are few and far between. The laptop requirement is often pointed to as the reason that RPI is so technologically superior to other schools, but as Luke Bowen, a sophomore electrical and computer systems engineering major, pointed out, "The technology is basically everywhere anyways."

Although the laptops were not necessary, they did make life more convenient, Bowen said. He agreed that from an educational standpoint there is less social interaction between students and professors because of the ease of obtaining information through e-mail.

Students themselves are less likely to get together to go over homework or call each other about something because it is much easier for them to Instant Message one another, said Bowen. He did point out, though, that the lack of social activity on campus is not merely due to the technology. It also has a lot to do with the way our community is set up. "A lot of them just don’t want to be social," Bowen explains.

Second-year management student Amy Schildkraut agrees that the technology here at RPI is negatively affecting the campus. "Everyone has a computer because we’re in a technical school where it is necessary; computers, Nintendo, TV—they are everywhere. Because it’s right there and so available, it’s a huge distraction," Schildkraut commented.

One thing is clear—technology is everywhere and it is here to stay. In a country that is infatuated with its toys, machines, and the Internet, technology has become a major part of our everyday lives. As Sullivan put it, "My favorite definition of culture is a hallway of life. I think that Information Technology over the past few decades has become more embedded in our hallway of life."