Technology: worth deindividualization?

Technology can help us connect to one another at great distances and provides fast, easy forms of communication, but it comes at a price: a heightened risk of deindividualization. Deindividualization leads people to behave in uncharacteristic ways, and they may feel less of an obligation to interact with others in a civil manner than they would in person. Social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter provide a forum to speak freely without the risk of verbal or physical retaliation, creating the illusion that any words typed or texted are simply floating around in cyberspace and have no real consequences, that they are the product of the computer or phone rather than the person. While the purpose of texting, emailing, and social networking is to maintain interpersonal connections, these forms of communication should not be regarded as completely harmless. Unfortunately they have made cyber-bullying, the use of communication technologies to harm others, possible. Cyber-bullying may not seem like a serious issue, but it comes with many negative effects. A number of victims experienced emotional responses including a lower sense of self-worth and an increase in suicidal thoughts. 42% of kids in a survey of 1,500 reported being harassed online, and at least four people in the United States have committed suicide as a result of cyber-bullying. While forms of communication that rely on technology may make our lives a little easier, it is questionable whether we should sacrifice individuality, real interpersonal connections, and human lives for the sake of convenience.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber-bullying