The Impact Of Social Media On Society

Is society being dehumanized by technology? Or are technological advancements bringing people closer together? In recent years, the growing use of technology has been impacting the way humans function and communicate in everyday life. Accelerating rates of social media usage questions the vast impact on society. Thus, emerging the argument of whether or not social media is playing the role of connecting the world together or tearing it apart and leaving individuals to feel a sense of loneliness.

Human beings yearn for connection and belonging: which many American people feel this way to be true. Through this saying, Shelley Galasso Bonanno, wrote “Social Media’s Impact on Relationships,” published in 2016, on Psych Central, and she argues that the use of social media tends to have more of a positive mental impact on individuals whereas, the less use of social media tends to make individuals feel lonely and despaired. Also, mentioning the use of social media can alter face to face contact and real connections. Bonanno begins to build her credence with research, studies and personal experience, and prosperously incorporating emotional appeals. However, toward the end of the article, Bonanno’s attempt to appeal to reader’s emotions strengthen her credence, and ultimately her argument.

Our society has evolved very much over time. The technology, has impacted it greatly. With technology in our lives, we find ourselves ‘glued’ to our electronics. Now, the question is, what does social media provide us? In Wu’s article, he states, “The devices we use change the way we live much faster than any contest among genes.” Meaning, we rely on these devices to make us happy, and resort to them when we are bored. Similarly, in Castells article, he says, “Media often report that intense use of the Internet increases the risk of isolation, alienation, and withdrawal from society.” However, the article also says that social media has actually “increased sociability, civic engagement, and the intensity of family and friendship relationships, in all cultures.” Answering the question, we actually get something out of using social media. We are allowed to communicate with

Although many argue that social media is an easier way to interact with others and that it has the ability to improve relationships by keeping those that are far apart together through technology, social media can also cause people to further distance themselves and it can also have a negative impact on relationships. There has been many studies that proves that technology harms our relationships and how one interacts with other in social situations. Many people use technology as a way to escape the real world. Even though social media can be used in a positive way, it can also be used negatively. Before technology was as developed as it is in today’s society, people had different realities; separation between work life and personal life.

To begin with, maintaining a communication relationship among individuals is a challenging task. Busy life schedules and the distance in which individuals make it difficult to communicate. With the development of social media this communication barrier has been broken allowing communication to occur from almost any place imaginable. For example, old high school friends that were unreachable before can now be contacted within seconds through all social networks. A total of 88% of civilians report that social media helps them stay in touch with friends that they cannot see regularly (ProCon.org. 2015, March 24). Social media is a technological development that, facilitates face to face communication. This occurs from the moment a person enters the social media pages. For instance, when messaging through these sites the social interaction occurring is more than a virtual one. With every message there is a bond that is being created, and this bond permits both persons to

The epitome of a Good Life is the strong relationships humans are able to construct over time, but this can be affected by social media. Even though it connects individuals around the globe, social media can have a devastating effect on the establishment of communication in solid relationships. In Robert Waldinger’s “What makes a Good Life,” TED talk, he believes strong relationships are the framework of achieving a good life. Dr. Waldinger debates that the development of inter-social relationships could highly influence our life in a healthy manner, more than wealth and career success could. The need for relationships is seen through: (a) the Harvard Study, and (b) a healthy lifestyle. Clive Thompson’s article, “A Brave New World: I’m so Totally Digitally Close to You,” discusses how social media has revolutionized the way our community interacts. Instead of having one-to-one interaction with someone in person, now with just a “tweet” or “DM” a person easily contacts another person. He argues that the advancements of technology have led to our society developing an endless addiction to

Today’s society, it’s common for people to run their businesses and keep contact with co-workers, customers, or family that aren’t nearby. So many people sell, buy, and trade through social media. Facebook and craigslist are examples. There are even people that do business through social media like selling arts and crafts. Although there are these perks in having technology, people are still over using and abusing it. Technology will only grow and consume our lives more as the days go by. Even though this is true, it ultimately will cause a decrease in intimacy and human

One can argue that social media lets us connect to one another. Yes, this is true to some extent but social media can also be the source of people driving each other away. When we are so busy having our noses in our phone constantly we miss everything that goes on around us. We lose a sense of communication when falling into this temptation of always having to know to what is happening on our phone. Thomas Freidman stated that he feels technology is dividing us instead of uniting us after experiencing a taxi ride gone wrong in the sense of the driver constantly chatting on his phone. After Apple introduced the iPod it seems the world has slowly drifted to a state silence. In Steve Johnson’s essay Social Connections, he tells of the time before

Society today sees technology as a beneficial tool; however, it ultimately damages relationships by distorting the perception of what authentic human contact is. While providing the ability to keep in touch with friends around the world and share memories, social media definitely has negative effects on our society. For example, the fundamental criteria for what makes human contact authentic is damaged, and is at risk of extinction due to the role social media plays in our society.

My brother’s anecdote proves that social media does not contain a sense of closeness. If anything, social media causes a decline in physical interpersonal interaction. In public settings people may become socially awkward. The sad fact is that society accepts this practice, and new forms of social media are constantly

Today, socialization that involves real interaction is very rare because people have been reduced to interaction on social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter. Though there is nothing expressly wrong with technological communication, but over-relying on it can be a problem when it is seen as a substitute for face-to-face interaction. It takes away real life activities and can cause a breakdown in relationships. Constantly connecting through mobile devices is prone to disconnecting people from those physically around us.

A prevalent issue regarding social media and interactions exists between researchers and social network users. Social media is currently changing how relationships between people are created. Relationships can exist through people across the world through social media and can produce more emotional bonds with friends that you can see everyday. On the other hand, social media also could present conflicts due to the fact that some of these relationships can become unhealthy and that people could change to be more dependent on internet friends, becoming introverted.

People begin to connect more and more every day with the power of social media. Whether someone is thousands of miles away or a few blocks from your house there is the possibility of finding them on social media. The question is, with all the connecting possible through social media does it make us more distant to one another? With today’s youth, social media begins to take over one’s life and become their main source of interacting. Social media is possibly one of the best and worst creations in the modern world but the cons definitely triumph over the pros.

Relationships are put on the line due to social media. The Pew Research Center says that overall reports have shown that “young adults are more likely to report tension in their relationships over technology use” while just “one in ten online adults 65 and older say the same” (Lenhart & Duggan). A girl will not have a good first impression if a guy is on his phone the whole time while on their first date or vice versa. Family relationships and trust will have a hard time growing if a parent communicates with their child or a child lets their parent know something through social media. Words are exchanged that normally would not be exchanged in person. Since social media is at our fingertips, it is easy to “write impulsively and based on emotions which may be temporary” (Siegel). Soon, what was once our personal life

These people are highly respected by this, the social media generation. They are role models and yet, they do not have the same rights as many others. They cannot marry the ones they love.