Technology has allowed us to connect with people far, far away from us. In older times, people would have to write letters than would take weeks or even months to be delivered, not including how long it would take for a reply. Now, I could send a text to one of my friends in England, and I would probably get a reply back in a minute depending on what they were doing. It's faster, it's more efficient. And should texting not be your cup of tea, there is skype. You can talk to each other out loud, you can see each others faces, and it's free regardless of where they are. I consider sending letters much more impersonal. Think of families with members abroad, fighting in the army. Skype and phone calls are sometimes the one way they can communicate, and when they can, it's a beautiful thing. Not to mention people who have disorders that impair them in social situations, like anxiety, autism, or selective muteness. Some of my best friends live across the country, and they are not any less of friends to me because I use technology to talk to them.
You could say technology is causing students' writing skills to decline, but that would mean to ignore everything technology has done for the writing industry. Kindles, Mac books, portable devices designed to help you read and write on the go, wherever you are. Applications made to help with writer's block and lack of inspiration. In my opinion, the best thing to happen to the writing industry is technology.
