Is social media making us less social
2.2 Is Social Media Making Us Less Social?
In a world where 850 million people are linked through a single website we feel more connected and social than ever before (Marino, “Is Social Media Making Us Socially Awkward”). Social media removes the need for people to physically talk and communicate to one another because we can connect with hundreds by the push of a button. From my own experiences, I see social media as a dark hole. We are all dragged into it and once we have started sharing, posting and reading through these social outlets, there is no escape. It is an addiction and one which is having a detrimental affect on people’s social skills. Whether at at the dinner table or at the store, nearly every moment of our day we have access to social media. Social media actually makes people less social because social media ironically reduces the need and desire for face-to-face interaction.
Now more than ever before people are busy communicating primarily through their electronic devices. Not only does this take away from our social skills but being on ones phone or computer is one of the most solitary things one can do. Social media gives us the ability to catch up with an old friend while we ride the bus to class or look at pictures of our distant relatives wedding while we are eating dinner, however we loose sight of what is around us. In fact, according to a study from an article by Kristin Marino, American citizens spend an average of 21 minutes on Facebook each day (Marino, “Is Social Media Making Us Socially Awkward”). After a simple calculation, this amounts to approximately 128 hours or 5.32 full days per year spent of Facebook. This number does not even include people who view Facebook through their mobile devices (Marino, “Is Social Media Making Us Socially Awkward”). Neither does the study include any other forms of social media such as Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr or Vine. The facts are shocking, and to imagine what all that time was spent on before
In a world where 850 million people are linked through a single website we feel more connected and social than ever before (Marino, “Is Social Media Making Us Socially Awkward”). Social media removes the need for people to physically talk and communicate to one another because we can connect with hundreds by the push of a button. From my own experiences, I see social media as a dark hole. We are all dragged into it and once we have started sharing, posting and reading through these social outlets, there is no escape. It is an addiction and one which is having a detrimental affect on people’s social skills. Whether at at the dinner table or at the store, nearly every moment of our day we have access to social media. Social media actually makes people less social because social media ironically reduces the need and desire for face-to-face interaction.
Now more than ever before people are busy communicating primarily through their electronic devices. Not only does this take away from our social skills but being on ones phone or computer is one of the most solitary things one can do. Social media gives us the ability to catch up with an old friend while we ride the bus to class or look at pictures of our distant relatives wedding while we are eating dinner, however we loose sight of what is around us. In fact, according to a study from an article by Kristin Marino, American citizens spend an average of 21 minutes on Facebook each day (Marino, “Is Social Media Making Us Socially Awkward”). After a simple calculation, this amounts to approximately 128 hours or 5.32 full days per year spent of Facebook. This number does not even include people who view Facebook through their mobile devices (Marino, “Is Social Media Making Us Socially Awkward”). Neither does the study include any other forms of social media such as Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr or Vine. The facts are shocking, and to imagine what all that time was spent on before