Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now

Social media has had a major impact in our lives and our society. People feel the growing need for adapting to the changes of technology. These technological achievements have changed our society’s needs, our sense of self and our identities. Though, it is impossible to evaluate its impact, many people do not realize the negative effects. Understanding how social media has impacted our society is critical to our wellbeing. Yet, balancing the fast progression of technology can be difficult. Social media has become more present in our society, impacting the way in which people interact. It has made our lives easier, but at what price? Everything has become so easily available due to technology that everyday living seemed to have lost its value.

This could be a problem for people who may already be struggling to figure out who they. In the book, “Present Shock: When Everything Happens Now” by, Douglas Rushkoff, a term called “digiphrenia” is used throughout his book. “Digiphrenia” is described as the experience of trying to exist in more than one incarnation of oneself at the same time. With so many online profiles, such as Twitter, Facebook, etc., all operating at the same time, it could put most human beings in a very uncomfortable position. In the article “Is Technology Stealing Our (Self) Identities?” professor Dr. Jim Taylor of the University of San Francisco, states that the most powerful ways in which technology is altering self-identity is through the shift from being internally to externally driven. He believes that the self-identities of this generation of young people or, anyone who is deeply immersed in popular culture and media, are now shaped by two external forces; popular culture and social

'Each step "forward" has made it easier, just a little, to avoid the emotional work of being present, to convey information rather than humanity' (Foer, 2013). In the book, "Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?" Stephen Marche, stated, “We are living in an isolation that would have been unimaginable to our ancestors, and yet we have never been more accessible”. The passive consumption of other people's lives over social media - their idealized pictures of holidays, work, meals and family - seem to result in a more negative perception of our own lives and social interactions (Marche, 2012).
The negative effects of Facebook use can also be tied to the fear that we have become addicted without actually realising it. When people start to feel that others are having a better life than them, they can began to feel isolated. Facebook along with other social networking sites are full of contradictions, making people think that they are connected, but in reality are just passive observers, and not developing genuine emotional