The Relationship Between Digital Technology and the Interpersonal Communication Skills of Generation Y

Abstract

This paper examines how the prevalence and use of digital technology has affected the interpersonal communication skills of Generation Y. Many people see digital technology in a very positive light, particularly due to its function of maintaining long-distance relationships. However, most people do believe that Millennials have lost interpersonal skills because of their use of digital technology, although this is not a direct correlation. Rather, this study indicates that members of Generation Y often fear intimacy and awkwardness because they lack interpersonal communication skills, choosing to hide behind digital technology instead of engaging in interpersonal communication. Since Millennials have full control over their “digital lives,” they spend more time using digital technology and less time interacting face-to-face. This in turn contributes to the decline in interpersonal skills. While digital technology has negatively affected Millennials’ interpersonal communication skills, the issue is much deeper than just digital technology. Millennials’ lack of education and skill in communication affects their digital technology use. Thus, how Generation Y uses digital technology is an indicator of how they see the world and their values, which in turn affects how they interact with people.