Alone together
Kaina Santana
Professor Kevin Coogan
28 July 2014 Alone Together Today social media has become one of the most important parts of people’s lives. The word social in its name can be considered deceiving. Has social networking really made us more social? Or has it made us alone together? Social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram and twitter are all used as getaways, whether it be at a party, a business meeting or even at home. Social networking can be used as a way to keep in contact with family and friends, but it is taken to a greater level to where this is being used more than face to face interaction. Social media has even changed the meaning of friends; a friend is no longer the kid that we’ve been close to since grade school. A friend is now one of a thousand strangers on our social media friend list. Simone Back, a woman who resided in Brighton, UK, posted a status that announced her thoughts of committing suicide; instead of contacting her and being a “friend” as they are titled, her Facebook companions argued with each other on whether she would actually do it or not. These situations are examples of our dehumanization. Along with a faster way to getting in contact with each other, social media is also gradually stopping us from having actual face to face human interaction.
Social networking is giving us a poor mimic of the real world; for example there are websites such as WeeWorld.com, Meez.com in which people use animated versions of their selves to meet and socialize with other people. There are also dating sites such as Match.com where people can meet a variety of singles and eventually date them. Soon there will be no desire for a bar or speed dating when an individual can simply meet a single on a website in the comfort of their own home. However that can’t be too amazing considering a person will never know exactly who they are talking to or if the person is who they say they are. Relationships are big
Professor Kevin Coogan
28 July 2014 Alone Together Today social media has become one of the most important parts of people’s lives. The word social in its name can be considered deceiving. Has social networking really made us more social? Or has it made us alone together? Social networking sites such as Facebook, Instagram and twitter are all used as getaways, whether it be at a party, a business meeting or even at home. Social networking can be used as a way to keep in contact with family and friends, but it is taken to a greater level to where this is being used more than face to face interaction. Social media has even changed the meaning of friends; a friend is no longer the kid that we’ve been close to since grade school. A friend is now one of a thousand strangers on our social media friend list. Simone Back, a woman who resided in Brighton, UK, posted a status that announced her thoughts of committing suicide; instead of contacting her and being a “friend” as they are titled, her Facebook companions argued with each other on whether she would actually do it or not. These situations are examples of our dehumanization. Along with a faster way to getting in contact with each other, social media is also gradually stopping us from having actual face to face human interaction.
Social networking is giving us a poor mimic of the real world; for example there are websites such as WeeWorld.com, Meez.com in which people use animated versions of their selves to meet and socialize with other people. There are also dating sites such as Match.com where people can meet a variety of singles and eventually date them. Soon there will be no desire for a bar or speed dating when an individual can simply meet a single on a website in the comfort of their own home. However that can’t be too amazing considering a person will never know exactly who they are talking to or if the person is who they say they are. Relationships are big
Cited: Huff, Ethan A. "Social Networking Leads to Isolation, Not More Connections, Say Academics. Natural News. N.p., 27 Jan. 2011. Web. 31 July 2014. Miller, Max. "Technology Obsession Creates Isolation from Society. The Blue Banner. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Aug. 2014. Nogales, Ana. "Facebook versus Face-to-Face." Psychology Today: Health, Help, Happiness + Find a Therapist. N.p., 13 Oct. 2010. Web. 30 July 2014.