Is Social Networking Making Us Lonely? A few days ago, I was watching a soccer game on my computer with a friend. It was an important match between my favorite team and his, and the competition was actually very fierce. It ended up with my favorite team being lost. I disappointed for half an hour and my friend trying to console me, though unsuccessfully. I knew that in that kind of situation, most friends would have clapped me on the shoulder and given me a hug, and I do believe that my friend will do this for me, if my friend was not on the other side of the earth. Yes, the friend who watched the game with me was neither in my house nor live in the same state or country as me. We were watching the game on the same website and talking through …show more content…
This situation has changed recently due to the existence of the internet, a worldwide, publicly accessible network of interconnected computers where people can get different kinds of information from it. Social networking service, as one of the main products of the internet, created a brand new platform for people to share their interests and interact with each other. Not only that, social networking gives people the opportunity to present a finely manicured facade, not the messy reality of their identities. It is such an attractive place, especially for those who pay more attention to their own external images- teenagers. Although most people believe social networks bring more benefits than harms, many have complained that social networking makes teenagers more concerned with the virtual world rather than the world in front of their face. Furthermore, they believe that social networking is keeping us apart- it creates …show more content…
Is social networking making us lonely? It is not strictly true. Loneliness is one of the puzzles which have been bothering the people for a long time. In addition, the word “loneliness” was created far before social network started to exist. In his book Oh, the Places You 'll Go, Dr. Seuss expressed: “All alone! Whether you like it or not, alone is something you 'll be quite a lot” (7)! The book was published in 1990, the time when social networks haven 't yet been popularized. That is to say, there must be other factors that bring loneliness, and those have nothing to do with social networking. Nevertheless, could social networking be one of the causes of
Many young girls are aware that what they are doing on the internet can be seen by others and it can lead to positive or negative reactions from their peers. Orenstein is concerned about younger girls and women and how social media could take a bad turn on things for them. She wants us to know that social media can damage one’s reputation depending on how it is used. Girls post pictures of themselves on the internet in order to attract positive attention from their peers, as well as others who are considered as strangers. They want to be able to seek the attention from others in order to create an audience. As a result of this, Facebook is then used as a “social norm”, meaning that people can judge and form opinions based off of what is seen in an online profile. Orenstein explains that she isn’t trying to put technology in a bad light, because she uses it to keep in contact with her friends and family. She’s mindful about what she puts on the internet, while young adults are making their identities into a
Various studies such as one survey which concluded that the mean size of networks of personal confidants decreased from 2.94 people in 1985 to 2.08 in 2004. Similarly, in 1985, only 10 percent of Americans said they had no one with whom to discuss important matters, and 15 percent said they had only one such good friend. By 2004, 25 percent had nobody to talk to, and 20 percent had only one confidant (Bercovici). In addition, a 2010 AARP survey found that 35 percent of adults older than 45 were chronically lonely, as opposed to 20 percent of a similar group only a decade earlier (Marche). By analyzing all of this compiled data it is evident that the sense of loneliness is on the rise especially after the launch of Facebook in 2004. Thus this has led critics to correlate the increased use and number of Facebook users with the noted increase in loneliness. This in turn has led critics to hypothesize and condemn the social network as the not so social network and therefore believing that Facebook causes loneliness. But is this all
In the article “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?” by Stephen Marche, the author tries to show that Facebook impacts on society in the various ways. Moreover, the purpose of this article is to convince the readers that they should really connect to each other like face-to-face contact rather than spending time online the social media. Marche states that “Facebook doesn’t destroy friendships, but it doesn’t create them either” (Marche 608). The author’s audience would be middle-aged adults and middle class in May 2012 that buy and read about the social media because they might be up sad of their life. He also discusses that social network is making us lonely, or if lonely people are addicted to the Internet. However, he states social network is “merely a tool” (608), and we can choose how to use them. Marche sounds very cynical. He is an analyst, but his article is not clear enough. The author’s situation is so complicated because he uses too much examples and stories. Stephen Marche in “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?” is not effective in using pathos, connotative languages, tone and emotions to convince the reader that they should really connect to each other face-to-face rather than spending time online.
In the article “Is Facebook Faking Us Lonely,” author Stephen Marche creates a report on “what the epidemic of loneness is doing to our souls and society.” Marche’s thesis statement is that “new research suggests that we have never been lonelier (or more narcissistic) –and that this loneliness is making us mentally and physically ill” from which he attributes this to social media. Marche’s purpose in writing this article is to persuade readers to think that social media, specifically Facebook, is converting real life relationships to digital unsociable ones, which is causing negative effects to our psyche. The author introduces being alone, something every human craves, is different from loneliness. However, he claims that this digital age
In a day and age of a social media dominance, we have never been as densely connected and networked as we ever have. Through studies and researchers, it has been shown that we never have been as lonelier, or even narcissistic. As a result all this loneliness has not only made us mentally ill, but physically ill as well. Published in The Atlantic on April 2, 2012, Stephen Marche addresses this argument in his article entitled “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely”.
In Austin McCann's Impact of Social Media on Teens articles he raises that "social networking is turning out to be more than a piece of their reality, its turning into their reality." Teens grumble about always being pushed with homework, however perhaps homework isn't the fundamental wellspring of the anxiety. Ordinary Health magazine expresses that, on insights, a young person who invests more energy open air is for the most part a more content and healthier child. Be that as it may, since 2000, the time adolescents spend outside has diminished altogether bringing on more despondency and heftiness. Not just does it influence wellbeing, social networking denies folks from having an intensive discussion with their youngsters without them checking their telephone. Despite the fact that the constructive outcome of having an online networking profile is to correspond with companions/family, they don't even have the respectability to lift their head and take part in a discussion. Appreciating the easily overlooked details around them turns into a troublesome errand to the normal adolescent when they're excessively caught up with tweeting about it. The repudiating impacts of it goes to demonstrate that social networking is not all it is talked up to
Texting, the internet, and social networking connect many people with those otherwise unavailable to them. However, the connection is less personal, and more tenuous than real social encounters. As technology advances greater numbers of teens expose themselves to risk of predation, stunted social skills, and a skewed view of the physical world. The speed of electronic communication and the abundance of readily available information are the internet’s greatest strengths and threats, many lack ability to distinguish between the fact and fiction that abounds in cyber-space. Allowing teens to find their unique identity is crucial but should not be done in a vacuum of parental supervision or genuine social interaction.
The use of social networking sites is rising at great rates. According to a report conducted by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in 2012, ninety-five percent of individuals aged 12-17 use the internet; and eighty-one percent of those use social network sites (Pew Interest). Although it is known that social media can have a useful impact on lives, often times people forget that with a positive comes a negative. The continual use of social network sites will impact teen lives more negatively than positively because they can cause huge distractions from valuable and critical pursuits like education; they can also cause mental health issues and a reduction in communication skills.
Today we live in a society that has been engulfed in technology and that question is does technology make us lonely? Personally I don't think, I now we can communicate with one another faster than ever whether it's by text message, email and through the many social networking sites that we have today we can reach out to each other in so many ways. There has always been a debate on how this technology affects us and some would argue that it's ruining us as we speak while others would say it's a step in the right direction. Such devices and applications as smart phones, tablets, e-mail, texting, Facebook and Skype are bringing families together, offering an easy avenue to communicate when you’re loved ones are far away and or when they are as close as the next room. People have the sources to interact with others around the globe with just the click of a button. We can share our lives with those around us and at the same time see what others are doing as well. People can keep in touch with their family and loved ones with all of the social networking sites available, or make new friends through these sites. People can talk to their relatives that are station in the military using video chat services such as Facetime and Skype, which a vital way for people to keep in touch with their loved ones while their away on duty. The social networking sites also is a way for us to meet new people and interact with them. It helps a lot of people that don't have friends in their daily life to have friends through social media such as Facebook and Twitter people can talk with each other and build bonds with one another through these sites which can help them to feel a lot less lonely than they would in their normal lives which helps a lot of peo...
Social media can have detrimental effects on the formation of an adolescent’s identity such as social isolation meaning that the individual will spend excessive amounts of time attached to any electronics that will provide him with social media access. Social networking has been debated to have beneficial or detrimental effects, as overuse and abuse of the Internet can be harmful to someone, such as an adolescent. According to the National Crime Prevention Council, over one million teenage girls are victimized psychologically as well as physically, through social media.
There has been controversy as to whether parents should limit the use of social media by teenagers. Teenagers feel that there is no need to limit the use of their social media networking, but on the other hand, parents should feel the need to limit their use and also keep track of their teen’s social networking. Social media allows students to be connected with their peers, teens who post positive status are more likely to be involved in extracurricular activities, and for many teens putting up “selfies” is a self confidence boost; however, too much social media can affect students GPA in school, cyber bullying can affect social health. Social media networks can give out personal information. Social media sites such as Facebook are one of the most popular social media sites that has 700,000-750,000 members joining each day.
Most common among young adults and teens, social networking plays a significant role in the social lives of adolescents. The teenage years are “a time of identity formation and role development” (Pew Internet and American Life Project 11). Online identity among friends and peers has now become as significant as one’s own personal identity, in that online information can be seen by many and online interactions have become a primary source of communication. As a result, teens tend to concentrate greatly on social life and now a majority use social networking sites and other social media as an outlet for this personal growth.
As social media use continues to increase for teenagers and young adults, so do the concerns on the social development in adolescents due to the internet. Many teens are attracted to social media because it provides a place where they can be anonymous and make friends, when at school they may be too shy to do so. In fact, a survey shows that, “participants...said they were better able to express their true selves online than offline, and they tended to project ideal qualities onto their online partners” However, when you have been given the tools and technology to maintain your lives without even speaking a word to someone face-to-face, it is anything but social. As a teen, social development is critical. During these years, a child will learn how to maintain friendships, thrive in social situations, and other important skills. When you are spending your day h...
In the twenty -first century, teenagers live in a life of social networking and life’s online. It’s hard to believe how much the world has changed over the decades, especially in technology. Technology helps people to contact relatives and friends from long distance more easily and conveniently. People can now talk to each other from everywhere in the world simply through chat and video calls. By time, internet connections have spread throughout households and social networking such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram has increased gradually. However, the internet and several modern technologies have wasted many times and has hurt the society. Social media plays such a big role in people’s lives that some people couldn’t even imagine
Before technology, face to face communication was a normal everyday thing and loneliness was a problem that was rarely talked about or experienced. People went about their day without checking their phone every five minutes or so to see if anyone liked the status they posted or feeling lonely when nobody new liked it. In new studies more and more people have feelings of loneliness and depression. However, more people now use social medias such as Facebook, twitter and instagram. While it is true that technology mainly sites such as Facebook can lead to a person feeling alone, it is also true that it depends on how you use the technology, either to your advantage or as a depressant.