Text messaging. Myspace. AIM. E-mail. Xanga. MSN online. The list of communication options through technology seems like it never ends.

For most of us, using technology as a means of communication is nearly second nature by now. In a generation raised with computers, cell phones and other recent inventions to help us stay in touch with those we associate with, it would almost be unnatural to not use technology.

Just think about how technologically-reliant we are: when was the last time you got a letter in the mail? A real, honest-to-goodness letter, not a birthday card or a postcard.

My guess is that you probably haven’t received one in a long time.

There’s no denying the value of technology as a means of communication, but can it be harmful as well?

The answer is a positive, undeniable yes. How, you may ask?

It makes us impersonal. Shocking, I know.

But think about it: when confronted with the possibility of an argument, how many members of our generation either avoid the conflict altogether or time the argument to occur online or over the phone?

It’s easier, I’ll agree. Online, you can’t tell people’s face expressions or see how angry they are. It’s almost like a way to avoid taking responsibility for your actions.

Cori Shough, senior, agrees. “It’s way easier to express your opinions when the person you’re talking to isn’t there,” she says. “They can’t see your emotions and you can’t see theirs.”

She went on to explain that when you can’t physically see their disappointment or disapproval, it’s much nicer than having to face that in person.

Right about now you may be thinking something along the lines of, This girl is CRAZY! Technology is great! I use myspace and my phone to keep in contact with my friends who live out of state. Without technology, I couldn’t keep that friendship alive, and that is much worse than not being able to see them face-to-face.

You are correct. Technology does have some positive aspects. But although your excuse for having a cell phone may be that you use it to call grandma every two weeks, how many of us really use it for that?

Think about your Inbox on your cell right now. I am willing to bet that 95 percent of those texts are from people you see every single day.

People that you can talk to face-to-face, people who may be sitting next to you right now.

I could go on and on about this, but my main message to you is to think about living in the real world, not the technological one we find ourselves in.

Technology is great, but it shouldn’t become your life.