Some people think that with the increasing use of mobile phones and computers, people lose the ability to communicate face to face. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is being argued that because people are spending more

time

using mobile phones and computers, they are forgetting how to interact in a

face

to

face

situation. I disagree with

this

opinion as I believe that interaction through the

Internet

does not change significantly our communication skills. It is a fact that the use of the

Internet

, since its invention, is growing substantially.

This

technology is improving constantly, at an amazing rate, making access easier and cheaper every day. Nowadays, there is a huge variety of equipment allowing consumers to choose from a cheaper model to a very expensive one.

For example

, when mobile phones were launched in Brazil, there was a waiting list to get one and the price was almost the same as a car.

Further

, the telecommunication providers charged a very high fee. That

also

changed and connection costs are more accessible. An illustration of

that is

the possibility to buy one month of

Internet

access for around ten US dollars. As individuals had more access they increased the

time

they spend navigating online.

However

, spending more

time

connected does not mean necessarily they are not allocating

time

to meet their friends and relatives.

For example

, the

time

used on mobile phones and computers could in the past have been used for reading newspapers, books on paper or playing games. Actually, the

Internet

makes it possible for us to communicate with people that live far from us,

thus

creating more possibilities for interactions.

Finally

, communications online require almost the same set of skills as

face

to

face

. To conclude, the increase in the usage of online equipment does give new options for spending

time

but it does not have a negative impact on relationships.