Is technology killing social skills?

I believe that if you don't know or communicate with people in real life, then you don't know them at all. It's important for students to communicate with people face-to-face and be able to learn about social cues, facial expressions, and other body language. You don't learn about people from the use of technology or from other social media sites. Don't get me wrong, I love using these sites in and out of the classroom, but to really get to know someone and to really connect, it has to be face-to-face. I think Skype or FaceTime are great pieces of technology that still allow students to connect, but in a way that uses what they know. However, its important for students not to connect with people they don't know in real life. Teaching our students to be responsible with this technology is very important. If we can balance the use of technology and real face-to-face time then students will build strong interpersonal skills.