Is it possible to be so connected that we become disconnected?
In our wireless world we seek out connections through various social outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, Tumblr, Skype, Blogger, and many more. At what point do we lose touch with the tangible people that surround us while we are busy 'connecting' with people in cyberspace?
Too many times I have caught myself using Facebook without even thinking about it. I will be checking people's statuses and updating mine while a friend or family member is right beside me. Sometimes I recognize what I'm doing and it causes me to question- Am I checking this site because it's a habit? I don't know why I am trying to stay connected with people on the Internet but not focusing on the face to face contact that I cherish so much more. I think it's so easy to get caught up in our basic want and need to feel close to others, to be informed and connected to them, that we get lazy in how we initiate this contact. It takes a lot more effort to plan to meet somebody and ask them questions about their life and answer their questions about yours then it does to click a button on a website and instantly have access to their personal information. But what does this mean for not only my generation but the generations that will follow? Will social skills, manners, and even playing outside become a thing of the past? I think people need to be aware of and consciously making decisions to face each other without a screen and to be outside, actively doing things. I believe this process starts in the family: how families relate to each other, communicate, what activities they do, and what values parents instil in their children.
Communication and relationships always have and always will take time, energy, and work. I think the connections forged on the Internet cannot be substituted or replace people relating to one another and making the effort to communicate face-to-face. If we fail to recognize the importance of person to person rather than person to screen contact then we will live our lives with the illusion of connection only to be disillusioned when we realize a computer can't see your pain, hear your laughter, dry your tears, give you a hug, care for you when you're sick or aging, and tell you "I love you."
This is another bloggers insights on the subject
This is a link to my fellow classmate and friend Samantha's blog
This post is everything my parents have been saying for years, and over the past couple months I have come to agreement with it as well. So frequently do I find myself just clicking on the Facebook ap button just because it is habit, even if I was on there 2 minutes prior. I think you make a valid point about not just our generation but the generations to come. Often times I think back to when I was a kid and looked forward to going out onto the street to ride my bike and run around, but rarely do you see that now, all the kids do is sit inside and play video games against some unknown person halfway across the world.
ReplyDeleteIf the future generations have any hope, people will get up off the couch and go interact with their friends and family face to face, rather than via Facebook or twitter. Great job on this post!
It is so difficult to not fall into that trap! Especially with friends who do not live near-by, I often find myself following them on facebook and feeling as though I am "keeping in touch". I have to make a conscious effort to not become disconnected and instead actually talk to them on skype (or even better, in person, if possible) or at least write them a personalised email. It creates for a much deeper friendship - one where you actually know what's going on in the person's life, not just what's on the surface.
ReplyDeleteThis post is very insightful on such a serious issue that is happening today with the world of social media. I agree completely, when I am out in public now on average I mostly see people on their smart phones, iPads, listening to music more than listening to peoples words. The worst for me is when you see families out to dinner and the children, and even the parents are not communicating with each other because they cannot lift their heads up to even make eye contact. I find it to be incredibly rude and truly feel that if you are surrounded by people you should not be focused on your smartphone, be in the present is what my family tells me. In saying this, obviously social media is positive in many ways, but I feel like the true connection of a face-face conversation has been lost greatly.
ReplyDeleteThis is a sad truth in our society today, thank you for bringing light to it. I too find myself constantly checking my facebook for no reason and feel absolutely lost without my phone. It's silly how reliant we have become with our technology. I hope that our next generation does not become worse and still continues to learn and appreciate the value of face-to-face conversations.
ReplyDeleteI agree Christine. And thank you for the insightful blog post Angela. I think that people get caught up behind the wall of anonymity that the internet provides for us and we can easily start losing touch with more traditional forms of communication. I think that we need to sometimes step back from the world of facebook and maybe try writing a letter to someone, or print out some photos and put a photo album together - just to re-establish that we are capable of functioning without facebook.
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