The Impact Of Social Media On Society

Social media has changed our culture in ways many, in years past, would have thought to be impossible. With the advent of social media, people are connected around the world. Using the internet we can have “face-to-face” conversations, write “letters”, play games, and much more with others instantly without the need of being in the same room as them. Even though we are all constantly connected, some feel our technological innovations are causing us to become lonelier. Many feel physical interactions are key to creating emotional bonds. Some even feel left out because they are not technologically incline. Those who believe technology is making us lonelier often note how some people say they have friends that they have never met in real life, or cite shows like “Catfish” where people fall in love with others over the internet, but the person they thought they were talking to is not actually who they were talking to. Though some may think technology is making us lonelier, in actuality it bring us closer together.

Social media has guided us to believe that we need to be connected to others. “…the social media revolution has not made us feel more connected, less lonely, or replete with friends” (Barna Group). Social media has input certain beliefs into the minds of people while also taking away that time that could be spent with friends and family. Social media has allowed people to put on fronts and believe that these are the only means of communication.

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.

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.

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.

This article response paper is a reflection of Susan Tardanico’s article, “Is Social Media Sabotaging Communication?” Consequently, technology expansion is causing families to forfeit quality intervals together for the indulgence of their electronic contraptions. Additionally, social media, advanced technology, and the need to fit in seem to be consuming people’s lives. Communication is such an important means of transmitting information, however has become “foreign” to this new generation of young adults. Furthermore, verbal communication plays varied roles in each community, without it; relationships would fail, co-workers would have more frequent miss-understandings, and confusion is more likely to occur between companions who only have electronic interactions. “As

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

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.

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.

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

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

“Social ties that we once would have abandoned as we left highschool, changed jobs and moved from one neighborhood to another now persist online” (Hampton 7). This quote by Keith N. Hampton, a doctor that holds the Professorship in Communication and Public Policy at Rutgers University's School of Communication and Information, emphasizes that as technology keeps on advancing and improving, we are now all connected through social media and would help us keep relationships with one another in different places. One may believe that communicating through technology is distracting our real-world relationships; however people tend to have stronger and longer relationships and are more aware of the world around them. Technology is positively impacting people’s ability to maintain and develop relationships.

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.