I recently stumbled across a video – thanks to social media, which left a very powerful message ingrained inside of my head. This video entitled ‘can we auto-correct humanity’ which was created by Prince Ea, presents an incredibly persuasive, home-hitting message about the lack of control that we possess over social-media, even though we all have a choice to put the phones, laptops, tablets, and self-centered technology away.
Take a look…
The video lead me to internally ask the same question that passes through the heads of many people on a regular basis – does technology hinder us socially, or does it result in social enhancement through the ‘connectivity’ that it supposedly allows? It can be argued that social media is incredibly powerful and has the ability to spread an intense message around the globe within a matter of seconds, which when we contemplate, is amazing. We can have friends and family members on the opposite side of the globe, yet still know how they look, what they’ve been up to and how their life is progressing – something which is priceless for someone like me whose parents live in a different country. On the flip side, due to its temptation when we find ourselves to be stuck in a rut of boredom, instead of involving ourselves in activity to escape this boredom, we run to our phones without second guessing the decision. In my opinion, this decision can lead to an even more soul-killing activity – sitting for hours endlessly scrolling on social media that we aren’t even interested in.
I find it incredibly frustrating when people can’t resist the urge to post on social networking sites during dinner, when in the presence of people or when something amazing is in front of them and they would rather experience it through a tiny screen. I’ve seen friends who are deep in some of the most exotic jungles, recording their experience through Snapchat. Wouldn’t you rather just get rid of all technology and simple inhale the beauty of the moment for what it is? This is where disposable cameras come in handy – one snap to savour the memory for a lifetime and you can get back to business.
Moreover, does this ‘social’ media lead us to fall into a false sense of security when it comes to friendships? Recently, I decided to reactivate my Facebook account after deleting it for several months, probably due to curiosity and boredom. However, I refuse to keep the apps on my mobile devices so I am less tempted to visit the site when I’m not sat at a laptop. Although I still remain in close contact with the same group of individuals, I am seeing more temporary relationships crop up in my Facebook life, due to the pure ease of it. I am the kind of person that believes a person should still be able to reach out to you in a way that doesn’t involve social media.
What do you think?
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Thoughtful article – really interesting video.
I agree that the pervasive nature of social media has had a distinct impact how we develop relationships. Although they’re different, I’d argue the value of online relationships (however fleeting) are equal to offline interactions of the same context.
Social media and other online networks have created a new ‘third place’ where we naturally congregate. The dangerous difference which you’ve highlighted is the convenience of dipping in and out, whenever and wherever we want. This has made it extremely difficult to control our usage and self moderate. Whereas as heading down to a local youth club or pub requires effort, quickly logging onto Facebook via your smartphone is effortless.
I agree partially with your argument. I guess perhaps I feel that social media can be damaging to the youth in particular in this case. As the research shows, a vast amount of people can feel more lonely through the internet as their online friendships aren’t actually ‘real’. Like you mention, certain activities require effort, thus, due to the fact that social networking does not, are we becoming socially lazy?