Most people would agree that the Social Media has changed the way we live our lives and the way we relate to others. Many might say that thanks to Social Media they have more friends. But to me, more contacts do not necessarily mean more friends.
In my opinion, personal relations are being negatively affected by the excessive use of technological devices in detriment of personal relationships. I cannot feel as friends people whose faces I don't know, whose profiles I fear might contain many lies. Many “likes” can never replace a direct compliment. Many emails cannot have the same encouraging effect of seeing people’s smiles. Text messages cannot give me the comfort of holding a friend’s hand. Perhaps it’s because I come from a very collective culture.
I feel that time that used to be spent talking on the phone or visiting relatives has been replaced with the more common and impersonal texting and instant messaging. It is evident Facebook or Twitter interferes with many people’s personal relations and even job performance. People spend several hours a day online, surfing from site to site without a specific purpose. And I later see the same people complain of not having time to help their children with their homework, visit sick friends or eat with older relatives.
Many of my friends go out and instead of enjoying each other’s companion they constantly check their smart phones and worry if several minutes past before their chat is responded. What happened to the old fashion but still nice conversation over dinner? I do not understand how many people can be satisfied to wish a happy birthday with an email instead of giving a warm hug and sharing a piece of cake. I fondly remember the enjoyment of going out to with a movie or for ice cream, without fearing an interruption from a smartphone or tablet.
Many of classmates cannot stop texting, even in classrooms or while driving, in spite of the risks of flunking the class, getting a traffic ticket or being killed in an accident.
A recent study classifies internet addiction among the top five addictions in America (http://addictnation.org/top-5-addictions-in-the-u-s).
Internet addiction has caused many divorces. Facebook has been reported to negatively affect personal relationships. I like Facebook, but I would not depend on it to keep in touch with friends and family.
A website called Retrevo reported that half of the people surveyed update their Facebook or Twitter status during the night or first thing in the morning. About one third of iPhone users confessed to checking these sites before they even got out of bed.
I hope I learn to use and benefit from Social Media. I agree that many technological changes are good. That’s why I enrolled in this class. I want to be an active part of the new world. In class we have learned the versatility of smart phones and other technological devices to catapult our careers. But too much of a good thing can also be bad. I hope when I complete this class I will receive a kiss on the cheek or pat on the back instead of an email or a text message.
Really liked this post. I agree that our interactions are so much less meaningful now. In a class I took last semester, we argued whether or not the ease of digital communications has diminished the effectiveness of protest. It would seem that someone who took the time to write and personally distribute fliers would be more respected than someone behind a computer screen typing or "liking" posts on Facebook.
ReplyDeleteIf you're apart from a loved one for a long people of time, things like Facebook can make the distance a little bit easier, but I don't think that spending time together in person can ever really be replaced by social media. As for texting while driving, it absolutely amazes me that people still do that. Its unfortunate, but I think that for some people it takes a serious near miss or knowing someone who was really hurt in an accident caused by texting while driving to get them to stop.
ReplyDeleteJairo, I won't be giving you a kiss on the cheek after this class, but a pat on the back will be doable. I agree with you that social media at times has made people less social. I see more and more students lacking the social face to face interaction. I have found myself leaving my phone at home or in the car, so as to disconnect myself from it to enjoy more personal company. However, without dispute, social media like Facebook has been a positive experience with my music. I try not to use the online program to stay connected with friends as much as I utilize it to promote the music.
ReplyDeleteFew social "interactions" are more depressing to me than a group of friends or a couple sitting together, but in their own digital universes--and I think the generation below us has no conception of this being unusual in any way. It's a disquieting new normal.
ReplyDeleteWell, smart phones/social media never really existed when I was in High school and still I managed to keep up with my friends, cousins, family. Well now my younger cousins, seem to have forgotten to call or meet, however, they do remember to wish me on my birthday on my FB wall. Sad but true. I guess with fewer in-person interactions, relationships are now getting re-defined.
ReplyDeletePersonal relationships are being redefined by social media. Even in terms of being "cool", kids shape their face books so that they look a certain way, because you are not just judged by appearance and personality, but by how your online profile looks. This is true in the job market also. Social media, while wonderful in many ways, has created another facet of ourselves that has to be monitored and considered when presenting ourselves.
ReplyDeleteI really like your blog, Jairo, and I hear all the warmth and closeness of your culture coming through, which is a wonderful thing. I agree with you in many ways, but I also appreciate what social media has to offer. As one who lives a good distance from my family in Chicago and friends stretched across 11 time zones, I appreciate being able to see pictures of my great-nieces and great-nephews on a regular basis, which wasn't possible when my nieces were small. It's also nice to be able to offer sympathy in an immediate way when a friend's cat dies or some other crisis strikes. I don't, however, need to know when they're cooking dinner or any of the other sundry facts that are over-communicated and a waste of my time. As a result, I am selective in my use of social media while being wholly aware of its addictive quality.
ReplyDeleteI also hear you about people texting while driving. As someone who once bicycled everywhere, this scares me to death, and I have stopped riding, except on designated bike paths. I never expected it would come to this. People's texting is even more dangerous than talking on cell phones while driving.