The Social Networking Paradox
Rachel-Ellen Combs
Mrs. Julie Pasterchick
English Language AP-Gifted
23 January 2013
Paradoxes in Social Media One generality about users of social networking sites is that we are an outgoing, social people hiding behind our computer screens rather than enjoying the company of others. We love to be in touch with the world and catch up on what everyone else is up to, yet we choose to stay locked in our rooms doing so. We have thousands of Facebook friends, but have never met most of them. We tweet our “friends” all the time, yet have not made plans with them because we are content in the cyber relationships we have. We claim to be “technologically-savvy” and lack the computer skills needed for jobs in the real world. We would rather sit behind a computer screen, venting our feelings and avoiding our problems rather than facing them head on. In a world where technological advances are being made every day, it’s no wonder how big social networking sites have become, especially in the past 10 years. In the United States, rarely would you find someone who does not own a cell phone, laptop, or both. Albert Einstein himself stated that, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” One reason that websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are such a big part of people’s lives today is that we want to stay in contact with people we normally do not see on a regular basis. This seems like a good argument, when in reality, so much of our attention goes into these websites that we spend less time with the people who are actually around us. We desire to make good first impressions, and instead, invest more time on our profile biographies online. One thing that has proved prevalent in cyber society is that more is better. If we spent half as much time with our friends and family as we do on these websites, we wouldn’t need more friends on Facebook and followers on Twitter and Instagram. But it seems as though these
Mrs. Julie Pasterchick
English Language AP-Gifted
23 January 2013
Paradoxes in Social Media One generality about users of social networking sites is that we are an outgoing, social people hiding behind our computer screens rather than enjoying the company of others. We love to be in touch with the world and catch up on what everyone else is up to, yet we choose to stay locked in our rooms doing so. We have thousands of Facebook friends, but have never met most of them. We tweet our “friends” all the time, yet have not made plans with them because we are content in the cyber relationships we have. We claim to be “technologically-savvy” and lack the computer skills needed for jobs in the real world. We would rather sit behind a computer screen, venting our feelings and avoiding our problems rather than facing them head on. In a world where technological advances are being made every day, it’s no wonder how big social networking sites have become, especially in the past 10 years. In the United States, rarely would you find someone who does not own a cell phone, laptop, or both. Albert Einstein himself stated that, “It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” One reason that websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, are such a big part of people’s lives today is that we want to stay in contact with people we normally do not see on a regular basis. This seems like a good argument, when in reality, so much of our attention goes into these websites that we spend less time with the people who are actually around us. We desire to make good first impressions, and instead, invest more time on our profile biographies online. One thing that has proved prevalent in cyber society is that more is better. If we spent half as much time with our friends and family as we do on these websites, we wouldn’t need more friends on Facebook and followers on Twitter and Instagram. But it seems as though these