Social Networks and Media Makes Us Less Social

Modern human interaction and communication have become mostly digital information that may or may not be true since anyone can make it look anyway they wish. They can lie and stretch the truth more easily when they are not talking to you eye to eye.

It started in chat rooms such as AOL, where people presented themselves in a far different light than they actually were for whatever reason. When they shared a picture it was often of someone else they downloaded from the Internet, possibly so that the other people would be more interested in chatting with them.

Internet Trolls

Almost every time an opinion is presented as a comment it is bombarded with conflicting opinions that usually supports the person's agenda and they usually assume facts that are not there. There are large numbers of trolls that troll the Internet looking for things they disagree with so they can feed their egos and get pleasure from putting other people down.

Professor Turkle says that Social Networking is "Modern Madness"

Sherry Turkle , Professor at MIT, claims that we are under an illusion. That modern communication methods using social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are more anti-social than social.

Turkle states in her new book, Alone Together, that social media and devices such as the iPhone are creating "pathological behavior" in its users. She goes on to say that a "modern madness" is becoming more prevalent due to these social media sites and the devices that display them.

Turkle sites an example of her observation of mourners at funerals checking their iPhones. Other examples are people placing suicide notes on the media and the trend of people trading insults and complaining rather than using it for more positive things.

Is the telephone becoming obsolete?

The practice of texting and wall posting is becoming more common than using the telephone for voice communications. Adults and children are using the social media sites to communicate with people they normally would not ever speak to.

Individual privacy is also becoming an issue when a spouse or close friend is involved. They may take violent notice when they find their significant other is communicating with ex-spouses and friends. There is a digital trail that can be seen if not erased. This is much different from the old telephone technology.

Leave me alone

Game consoles and devices connected to the Internet are responsible for a trend where people want to be left alone. It is common to find people alone and engaged in playing games and using the Internet while sitting by themselves for long periods of time.

This modern phenomenon is considered unhealthy for a variety of reasons. Children have less access to their parents, parents have less access to their children, and a lot of time is wasted that could be applied to more tangible pursuits.

Conclusion

I have long concluded that the use of modern technology must be limited. I use the Internet mostly as a tool that gets a job done, like writing this article and doing the research it requires. I do not play games, have a Facebook page or engage in mindless texting. Now I face an additional issue of being surrounded by sociopaths that think I am the crazy one.

Staff Writer "MIT Professor Claims Social Networks Make Us Less Human." itportal.com
Kate Loveys, "Online Backlash:Facebook and Tweeter Make Us Less Human and Isolates Us from the Real World." dailymail.co.uk
Paul Harris, "Social Networking Under Fresh Attackas Tide of Cyber-scepticism Sweeps US." guardian.co.uk