Social networking sites making us 'less human'?
If you've had your head buried in Facebook and other social networking sites, as many of us do, it might be contributing to making you and the rest of the world "less human," contends MIT prof Sherry Turkle in her new book, "Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other."
The Brits put it this way in a story about Turkle in the Telegraph: "The way in which people frantically communicate online via social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook can be seen as a modern form of madness," according to Turkle, the newspaper said.
Turkle — one of the earliest observers and students of technology's effects on human beings — is now saying what many of us have thought privately — if we take the time to think: We have seen our real-time interactions with friends and family erode as our eyes — and attention — are glued to Facebook and Twitter on our mobile phones and computers.
All of that, Turkle writes, is making us "less human." This, despite the fact that Facebook, in particular, has become a vital link for many family members and friends who might not otherwise communicate in person, because of distance and time.
But some agree that familiarity that Facebook can breed sometimes extends to the unfamiliar, and takes away from the personal nature of the site, part of its early appeal.
"We all know techno interaction is 'less human' the moment ... a total stranger asks after 5 minutes of one-to-one conversation, 'Hey, check me out on Facebook, it will be cool to have you as a friend.' NOT!" posted one Telegraph reader in response to the story.
"Facebook demeans the word friend, and as for Twitter ... why do I NEED 'strangers/ followers' to respond to my EVERY knee jerk sentiment?"
But, noted HedleyC, in a posting: "We were mad before Twitter came along."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, while I am a current Facebook user (and former MySpace user), let me just say: Bravo! For the last two years, I'd been trying to verbalize some of my thoughts on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter -- and tonight I stumble across the above article.
I strongly maintain that Facebook and other such social networking sites are really isolating entities masquerading as social interaction. Online social networks give the illusion of relationship without touch, without seeing body language, facial expressions or even hearing a voice. There are no consequences for saying outrageous and hurtful (even mortally hurtful) things. Slowly but surely, we're losing our ability to communicate or function any place other than behind our laptop(s) -- our very humanity. As such, we've become a generation with less compassion -- empathy -- than any that have come before. Don't get me wrong; I understand the potential benefits of these networking sites, but it takes maturity (maturity which, sadly, even many adults lack) to recognize those benefits and not abuse the forum(s) they provide. The ever-growing number of children plugged in to social networking sites is frightening as well. A disembodied voice, without parental supervision, one that can command attention or influence others, is a truly disturbing prospect. Under the best of circumstances I've seen children running amok -- now we throw in a forum for them to spread/ multiply that single-minded immaturity? Yikes.
Question(s) posed by my girlfriend (MR Toomey):
What then are the alternatives to being plugged-in 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?. How do we snap out of this dependency on social media? Why do people (companies as advertisers, employers, etc) insist on using it, feeding into the NEED to be on these things?
If what you say is true, what also must be true? Or, how can we fix the social ill you are pointing out?
My response:
We concentrate more on actually living life, than trying to show others we're living it via social media.
We post only the updates and share information with the people we truly WANT to communicate with.
We analyze, identify, and eliminate the superfluous information about ourselves -- available to anyone curious enough to look. Who on Facebook NEEDS to know where we're in school? Who NEEDS to know what city we're currently in? Who NEEDS to know our hometown?
We start by setting aside one day a week that we, under no circumstances, log in to social media.
We completely step away for 24 hours, and focus on the important facets of our lives.
After a few months, we maybe take 2 days away, and so on, until we've weened ourselves from social networks.
If short, we begin living our lives offline.
Ultimately, my question is this: Is our dissolution of human interaction a fad, or a symptom of a larger problem -- a growing laziness? When does the counter-revolution begin?
"Men have become the tools of their tools." -Henry David Thoreau
Truer words, were never spoken...
The Brits put it this way in a story about Turkle in the Telegraph: "The way in which people frantically communicate online via social networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook can be seen as a modern form of madness," according to Turkle, the newspaper said.
Turkle — one of the earliest observers and students of technology's effects on human beings — is now saying what many of us have thought privately — if we take the time to think: We have seen our real-time interactions with friends and family erode as our eyes — and attention — are glued to Facebook and Twitter on our mobile phones and computers.
All of that, Turkle writes, is making us "less human." This, despite the fact that Facebook, in particular, has become a vital link for many family members and friends who might not otherwise communicate in person, because of distance and time.
But some agree that familiarity that Facebook can breed sometimes extends to the unfamiliar, and takes away from the personal nature of the site, part of its early appeal.
"We all know techno interaction is 'less human' the moment ... a total stranger asks after 5 minutes of one-to-one conversation, 'Hey, check me out on Facebook, it will be cool to have you as a friend.' NOT!" posted one Telegraph reader in response to the story.
"Facebook demeans the word friend, and as for Twitter ... why do I NEED 'strangers/ followers' to respond to my EVERY knee jerk sentiment?"
But, noted HedleyC, in a posting: "We were mad before Twitter came along."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Now, while I am a current Facebook user (and former MySpace user), let me just say: Bravo! For the last two years, I'd been trying to verbalize some of my thoughts on Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter -- and tonight I stumble across the above article.
I strongly maintain that Facebook and other such social networking sites are really isolating entities masquerading as social interaction. Online social networks give the illusion of relationship without touch, without seeing body language, facial expressions or even hearing a voice. There are no consequences for saying outrageous and hurtful (even mortally hurtful) things. Slowly but surely, we're losing our ability to communicate or function any place other than behind our laptop(s) -- our very humanity. As such, we've become a generation with less compassion -- empathy -- than any that have come before. Don't get me wrong; I understand the potential benefits of these networking sites, but it takes maturity (maturity which, sadly, even many adults lack) to recognize those benefits and not abuse the forum(s) they provide. The ever-growing number of children plugged in to social networking sites is frightening as well. A disembodied voice, without parental supervision, one that can command attention or influence others, is a truly disturbing prospect. Under the best of circumstances I've seen children running amok -- now we throw in a forum for them to spread/ multiply that single-minded immaturity? Yikes.
Question(s) posed by my girlfriend (MR Toomey):
What then are the alternatives to being plugged-in 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?. How do we snap out of this dependency on social media? Why do people (companies as advertisers, employers, etc) insist on using it, feeding into the NEED to be on these things?
If what you say is true, what also must be true? Or, how can we fix the social ill you are pointing out?
My response:
We concentrate more on actually living life, than trying to show others we're living it via social media.
We post only the updates and share information with the people we truly WANT to communicate with.
We analyze, identify, and eliminate the superfluous information about ourselves -- available to anyone curious enough to look. Who on Facebook NEEDS to know where we're in school? Who NEEDS to know what city we're currently in? Who NEEDS to know our hometown?
We start by setting aside one day a week that we, under no circumstances, log in to social media.
We completely step away for 24 hours, and focus on the important facets of our lives.
After a few months, we maybe take 2 days away, and so on, until we've weened ourselves from social networks.
If short, we begin living our lives offline.
Ultimately, my question is this: Is our dissolution of human interaction a fad, or a symptom of a larger problem -- a growing laziness? When does the counter-revolution begin?
"Men have become the tools of their tools." -Henry David Thoreau
Truer words, were never spoken...
No comments:
Post a Comment