Abstract

Many believe we are in the midst of one of the most dramatic technological revolutions in history. As such, education is evolving to meet the demands of a global society. Colleges and universities act as a cultural bridge to those new literacies empowering individuals and groups traditionally excluded from education thereby reconstructing the classroom to make it responsive to the challenges of an ever-changing society. A convenience sample of 390 students was surveyed to investigate the perceived influences of technology on relationships, including preferences, usage and time with technologies. Results of this study suggest positive influences of technology on academic work, performance and maintenance of relationships, but disadvantages such as increased stress, addictive feelings toward technologies, and increased misunderstandings in relationships and conflict. These findings suggest technology has a mixed impact on students. Although technology will continue to be a significant influence in the lives of individuals, we need to consider how these forms of communication are best used in university classrooms. Discussion and recommendations to university instructors include suggestions on facilitating the use of technology to connect with college students in positive ways, while ameliorating the negative influences in the college classroom.