Negative Social Media

Social media and technology has improved the ability to stay connected with each other from far distances. In the article “Text or Talk: Is Technology Making You Lonely? By Margie Warrell” the author states “ online technology is a magnificent tool for staying in touch with people across miles time zones and years.” In

In his article, “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?” Stephen Marche argues that Facebook is the vital cause for loneliness and is luring people away from social capital. According to Marche, social networking isolates individuals and creates distance, mostly amongst family members. For some, it is not only isolation but rather social loneliness. The author claims that health can also be effected by loneliness. Nowadays, due to very little verbal person to person communication, he writes that people have never been so separated from one another because of social media. Facebook users, Marche argues, have an addiction to profoundly visit their account constantly leading to the feeling of loneliness and in most cases depression. The author claims that social networking, instead of demolishing isolation, is unknowingly spreading it. Ultimately, However, Stephen’s argument fails to convince due to his abundant false assumptions and the articles confusing organization.

Social media, like Facebook and Twitter seems to be growing popular worldwide in the last few years. Have you found yourself or someone else in an awkward situation and instantly pull out your phone to scrawl through Facebook or Twitter just to keep from talking to someone in the elevator or doctor’s office? Is social media like Facebook and Twitter making us lonely human beings? One man, Stephen Marche, wrote “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely,” published in May of 2012 issue in The Atlantic thinks that social media might play a role in it alongside with other things.

Humans are naturally social beings. Jeremy Rifkin states, “We are, it appears, the most social of animals and seek intimate participation and companionship with our fellows (115).” The article continues to explain how humans seem to connect through emotions and that inner, neurological need for human interaction. When one person feels pain, joy, or sadness, they want to share their feelings with another person. Hence, the needing fulfillment of social interaction. However, the use of social media does not mean humans have become less social. Even though social media has introduced a new way of interacting and communicating, studies have shown that people are becoming more

Over the last 30 years, the methods of human interactions have grown explosively, from face-to-face conversations, to video calling, instant messaging, texting, Facebook, Youtube, Snapchat, and Instagram. As the technology we surround ourselves with pervades an increasing number of aspects in our lives, it has begun to affect our mental health. A Carnegie Mellon study concluding that internet usage leads to significant increases in loneliness and depression received U.S. national media coverage (Kraut, Patterson, et al., 1998). However, others argue that the internet may just provide a place of refuge for those suffering from loneliness, anxiety, and depression. (McKenna and Bargh, 59)

In Stephen Marche’s article, “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?” points out many reasons to which social media is making us lonely. One reason why social media is making us lonely is because we are so focused on the internet and we forget what is going on around us. Another reason is because we can see how our friends on Facebook are having a great life and we become lonely because our life is not as interesting as theirs. Even though I disagree with the author’s conclusion that social media is making us lonely, there is ample evidence to support my belief that the internet can also be a tool for communication.

In the reading, “Connectivity And Its Discontents,” by Turkle, the author contends that social media defends people against loneliness. She also states, that it controls the intensity of connections of how people connect with other people, and create ease to communicate and disengage if people wanted to. For example, he states, “We discover the network—the world of connectivity—to be uniquely suited to the overworked and over scheduled life it makes possible. And now we look to the network to defend us against loneliness even as we use it to control the intensity of our connections. Technology makes it easy to communicate when we wish and disengage at will” (190-191). Therefore, people using social media to communicate is good because people might have a busy life style that doesn’t allow them to spend time meeting with their friends. It also provides an outlet against loneliness because some people might not have many friends, and social media allows them to connect easier with people they can’t see through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and many other forms of social media. It’s better for people to be open with other people online. People are able to socially interact with other people all over the world using computers, cell phones, and even tablets. The technology today doesn’t limit people from communicating, and web browsing to their hearts content. Social media and the technology

Isolation caused by social media can also create depression of the mind. In Molly Edmonds’ article “What are the effects of isolation on the mind?” a researcher, John Cacioppo, at the University of Chicago states, “20 percent of all people are unhappy because of social isolation at any given moment.” It is proven that social isolation has a major impact on emotions. Having numerous so-called “friends” on social media may cause certain people to feel popular and content. However, reality kicks in making one realize they are lonely as a result of not having real friends. According to Molly Edmonds, loneliness often leads to stress, which is a risk factor for many conditions in its own right. Technology often takes up so much of one’s life that they actually forget about the world they live in. People often realize how lonely they are after taking a break from technology, which causes stress and confusion. Since technology is now taking the place of human interaction, isolation will become a common problem among

“...between 2005 and 2012, 35% of the couples marrying in the US had met online” (González). The internet is used in many ways such as, communicating, posting status updates, and discovering new information. People most commonly argue the internet to be the source of loneliness and depression, whereas others say that it generates more relationships and friends. Electronic devices, such as mobile phones and laptops are utilized in everyday life, whether it be for work, school, personal matters, and in many other ways. It helps promote interactivity and involvement in a community, where you are not alone. It also permits transparent discussions, between friends, family, and others, that are beneficial in everyday life worldwide. Technology does not make us more alone as it gives people the opportunity to meet new people, supplements communications, and aids those who are already lonely.

In Stephen Marche’s article, Facebook is a reason people are becoming move lonely and standard. The relationship between technology and loneliness is strong. According to the article people who spend their time on devices and social network sights are finding themselves lacking in the ability to communicate in person. One effect that is brought up throughout the article is loneliness, in which is made the more often one drowns themselves in social media. Facebook in particular, is the

Are people still feeling lonely even though they are connected online? Stephen Marche, in his article " Is Facebook Making Us Lonely ?", explains the correlation between using Facebook and loneliness. Facebook has been used worldwide for a long time and it has always been an interesting topic to debate on. Some people argue that Facebook is harmful by isolating people from others around, and that using Facebook might make people less satisfied, sadder and lonelier than ever before. Conversely, I and other people think this most popular social network is great, it makes the world more open and connected. Facebook is useful, it does not separate or make people lonely because Facebook is just a tool and everything depends on how it is used.

Social media has connected us in unimaginable ways, and introduced us to a world much larger than our humble backyards. Nowadays, nearly everyone has a Facebook, an Instagram, or a Twitter account. Grandparents, teenagers, children, and even some pets are a part of one social network or another. While websites like Facebook are great for sharing pictures, stories, and interests, but they are also capable of raising awareness about important issues that may have been overlooked. Recently, the overuse of Facebook was thought to promote negative psychology well-being, including depression and loneliness. It 's safe to say that the world has become hopelessly addicted to social media. Plenty of people can 't make it through the day or in extreme cases a few hours without popping on their computers or scrolling through their smart phones to check the newsfeed on Facebook. As Stephen Marche says in his article, "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?”, Facebook makes us miserable and lonely. In fact, even though there is evidence showing that we 're more detached or lonely than ever because given Facebook is about social relationships; however, the site also offers an extraordinary number of ways to connect with others. This is just a taste of what Facebook can do, and with a huge number of people utilizing them, its possibilities are only growing. Facebook does not replace real human relationship or create loneliness, but it does not exterminate it either. It all depends on ones usage.

Although technology can help us express ourselves and stay connected with others, this doesn’t mean we have to use it all the time, and have it be all we ever do, and become addicted. Social media allows us to stay in contact with and maintain long distance relationships, or if you just want to text a friend about plans over the weekend or on a break(Doc 2). But we can use this to create more opportunities of face to face interaction rather than mindlessly scrolling through unimportant feed. Statistics show that our

Social networking sites (SNSs) have made up an important area of research for those interested in online communication technologies and their impact on individuals interactions (Steinfield, Ellison & Lampe, 2008). The use of these technologies are said to have mixed effects on loneliness and connectedness. While these sites create a more convenient avenue to stay in contact with people (Ellison, Steinfield & Lampe, 2007) they also limit the depth of genuine relationships (Kraut et al., 1998). It is difficult to determine whether it is these SNSs that are making people lonely or whether these sites are reconfiguring our notions of loneliness, as these are not static concepts (LaRose, Connolly, Lee, Li & Hales, 2014). Research has also found that individuals who have high levels of conscientiousness are less like to engage with SNSs as they promote procrastination (Hughes, Rowe, Batey & Lee, 2011).

Society today has us connected more than ever. Over one billion people are active on Facebook and other social networks. In other words, there are more Facebook users then there are people in the United States and Mexico combined. Use of technology, usually like the internet, has brought people together ranging from KONY 2012 to seeing a relative that lives hundreds of miles away. It could be argued that sharing of ideas and being entirely connected has almost been globally reached and implemented, but the result of these virtual profiles, and being globally connected is tragic: People are becoming more lonely than ever. Use of technology such as the internet has given people the opportunity to be connected, but in reality “more than 78% of