Friendship, a state of enduring affection, esteem, intimacy, and trust between two people. Having a friend means to have someone to talk to, hang out with, have fun with, etc. Friendships can be awesome but technology can affect a friendship in both positive and negative ways. Technology is amazing and extremely helpful, but it can also tear people apart by the use of social media, texting, the internet, apps, and many other features of technology.  

The Positives

I say that some good effects technology has on friendships are communication and apps. Having a friend who has common interests is good, and if you use the same apps and platforms, you can find other things you have in common. I also think that Technology can help you grow closer to your friends, whether you do face time, or texting, or even sending a snap, it is a way of communication and getting to know your friends better. Technology can also be a big help to friends who don’t live very close. If you can not see them, you can call them, and still talk to them without being next to them. Technology can help you make new friends and get closer with them.

According to 9th grader Emily at Hauppauge High School, she views technology as a good way to have and keep a friendship. She says technology can be a great way to help people who are more introverted to be more outgoing because of the confidence they build with not having to be face to face all the time. She thinks that technology can help build a better friendship. 

Kaitlyn, a freshman at Hauppauge High school says that you can build trust with them and not have to worry about embarrassment. And that technology is a good way to meet new people and make new friends. She feels that if someone is not normally comfortable with opening up to people, technology sort of opens a new door to new ideas on how to communicate without feeling so nervous or frightened. 

Marissa, a 9th grader at Hauppauge High School, said that technology can affect friendships in a good way because you can chat with each other online not only when you are with each other. She also said it is a great way to meet new friends on apps such as adding someone on snapchat, social media etc. Marissa looks at technology as a way to become closer to your friend even though it is through an electronic device. 

The Negatives

I feel that technology can also have a negative effect on friendships. My reasoning is that most people tend to open up more when communicating through technology. For example bullying can be really easy when in front of a computer and no one is watching, but when it comes to being face to face, it becomes harder. Technology can give people more of a chance and an easier way to be mean to people and talk about someone. This can turn a great friendship into a bad situation.

Emily feels technology can have a negative effect on friendships, because she thinks that if you are not face to face you cant truly know them. She said how you don’t know their true personality if they are not face to face with you. She feels it is easy for others to text behind someone’s back and to be mean without anyone ever knowing. 

Marissa thinks that technology affects friendships in a bad way because she feels that people are more likely to be mean online than in person. She thinks that this is bad because it shows how social media and technology can make a friendship bad.