Is todays technology helping or ruining our lives and relationships?

They have been a blessing in my marriage and in the relationships I have with friends and family members that live far away. E-mails, instant messaging, and all the access my cell phone gives me have been a major mode of communication for my husband and me this past year. If it weren’t for those things, we would not have been able to talk anywhere near as much as we have or been able to see each other on web cams. Those things have also been a major mode of communication for my friends and family members that live far away for the past few years while we have been stationed far away from ‘home’.

I don’t think technology is any more of a temptation than anything else is. If someone is going to cheat, they are going to do it, no matter what means they use to do so. Sure, the internet and cell phones may make it easier for them to do so, but I don’t think they make someone do something they wouldn’t have already done before we had them.

Technology is neither inherently good nor inherently evil. It simply is.

Having said that, there is absolutely no need for Facebook. There are certain wants that it fulfills, but no needs. Since it fails to help any need, I believe that the design of it screws with humans inherent flaws more than it helps humans fulfill their wants. So it comes very, very close to being evil.

I don’t understand how you could think that the technology encourage and tempt people to cheat. Prostitution is the oldest profession in the world. It has never been hard to get laid, anywhere, ever. If people want to cheat, it’s just as easy now as it was in the 1950s, or in the 1700s, or in 400BC.

I absolutely think that technology improves our relationships. For those who are already in a relationship, it improves communication. In the 21st century, we are never unreachable to our loved ones, unless we desire to be. Even in business meetings, even on trips to Japan, even in air planes, even in outerspace we now have ways to contact our loved ones and hear their voices.
For those whom are not in relationships, I think it improves the chances of finding someone good for you. On social networking sites and dating sites, you display who you are. Your personality and interests are right there on your profile page. The summary of who you are (Or at least, who you want to be) is shown immediately. Makes the idea of “falling in love at first sight” sound a lot more reasonable than in previous generations, where you had to take a guess at a girl sitting across the room and hope she’s similar to you.

In regards to ruining/helping our lives? I guess if I were to ask myself “Self, would you rather live in the 1400s or the 2000s?” I’d pick the 2000s. Aside from not experiencing the glory of being a knight, I can’t imagine any factor of the 15th century that’s superior to the 21st century. I’d prefer to not die of infection of a simple cut. I’d prefer to have machinery haul things around for me. I’d prefer to be able to see this beauty. I can’t assume that you’d appreciate the same things though (maybe if you had a dating profile, I could make a better guess.)

It’s not the technology that cheats, it’s people – you can’t blame it on anything else.

Technology doesn’t “tempt” people to cheat. It enables cheaters to act more easily.

Tech goodies just fast track what cheaters would do anyhow and give them the delusion that everyone does it.

I think one area in particular that technology has a tremendously powerful benefit is in aiding people with disabilities. There’s a lot less suffering in the world thanks to the advancements in technology to help the disabled, everything from prosthetics, to screen readers, to cell-phone video calls so the deaf can sign to each other, to better treatments and diagnostic tools for physicians to put to good use. I remember reading about Stephen Hawking getting to experience weightlessness and thinking how amazing our world is. The look of joy on his face is a perfect example of those moments in history that demonstrate just how amazing the potential of humanity is.

As others have said, cheating is an old flaw in our nature. @Simone_De_Beauvoir and @BarnacleBill have stated it rather eloquently in their own ways.