Future etiquette problems on society.

Paula,
I would like to attempt to answer your questions, "What up-and-coming technology shows indications of or concerns from researchers that may, in the future, have etiquette problems or impede social involvement or some other unforeseen problem, however with technology growing at a rapid speed, society will be faced with multiply unforeseen problems. Therefore, I have narrowed to one major concern that etiquette will play with social involvement.

Here we go...........

As wireless communication grows so does etiquette problems. Perhaps the biggest etiquette offenders are with the hand-held devices. The one’s that allow users to check e-mail, search the Web, send text messages, and make phone calls. These gadgets "are causing normally polite people to commit egregious breaches of decorum," says Peter Handal, chairman of Dale Carnegie Training. ."

E-mail and instant messages can also produce etiquette errors. Without the subtle clues of the spoken word, such as vocal tone and body language, they can be misinterpreted, creating misunderstandings and even inadvertent insults."People tend to treat e-mail like conversation," Mr. Handal says. "They don't give it the kind of thought that something in writing should have. If you're trying to be funny and you forget to put in the little smiley face, people could take it the wrong way."

As increasingly sophisticated technology extends its reach everywhere, Handal offers this advice to avoid tech-etiquette blunders: "Embrace all the new technologies, but keep focused on the people around you, whether it's your boss, your coworkers, or your customers. Technology is a great tool to help you get to the people. But even in this wired world, you need to have the personal touch."

As Internet settlers form cyber-communities, the importance of etiquette grows. However the lack of etiquette is weakening sociability. “Widely accepted ways of behaving reflect the attitudes and values of of the community.” (Morton, 2003) Many norms are learned through experience in a community. For example children and youth will observe how teens and adults behave with online etiquette and adapt the behavior at an early age. This process will continue throughout life.

Reference:
Morton, L. W. (2003) Civic Structure. In K. Christensen and D. Levinson (Eds.)