When is the last time you went out for a meal and witnessed the children, and possibly the adults, at the table next to you more attentive to their mobile devices than the people across from them? Moreover, when is the last time you partook in such distraction yourself?
The landscape of our social interaction is changing, our chances to practice social etiquette and relationship building behaviors have been limited by an increase in and acceptance of technological stimulation. It seems it has become "easier" to plug into more electrical outlets than relationships. Every week new research articles and reports are published to reiterate that everyone, young and seasoned, can benefit from a commitment to soft skill development and that such improvement benefits organizations and societies at large.
Stay ahead of the curve. Here are some articles currently trending this topic:
"Character Counts: What Are Colleges Looking For?" - Big Future, by The College Board
"College Students: These Soft Skills Lead to Academic Success" - Cathryn Sloane, US News
"Parents Value Grades Over Kindness" - Meghan Holohan, Today
"How Technology is Killing Eye Contact" - Carolyne Gregorie, Huffington Post
"Have Our Kids Gotten Soft? Five Ways to Teach Them Grit" - Kelly Wallace, CNN
"Don't Let Technology Rob Kids of Social Skills" - Amy McCready, Today
"Stop Googling. Let's Talk." - Sherry Turkle, New York Times
"Tech Etiquette: 21 Do's and Don'ts for 2015" - Kevin Sintumuang, Wall Street Journal
"The Four Key Skills Generation Y Is Missing" - Nick Morrison, Forbes
"Developing People Skills is a Brilliant Career Move" - Daphne Mallory, Entrepreneur Magazine
"Study: Multitasking Hinders Youth Social Skills" - Mark Milian, CNN
"When Children Text All Day, What Happens To Their Social Skills?" - Katherine Bindley, Huffington Post