Social Networking and the End of True Friendship

1250 Words3 Pages

“A wealth of content creates a poverty of attention.” - Nobel Laureate Herbert Simon -

Facebook now has over 1.3 billion monthly active users (Edwards, 2014). When we consider such a colossal volume of information being pumped continuously into cyberspace, social media’s pervasive stranglehold on our society becomes readily apparent. In the past decade we have opened more communication channels than our parents ever thought possible. The advent of smartphones has even eliminated the necessity of a computer screen, putting the power to network across the globe literally in the palms of our hands. We are able to see the positive impacts of the social media movement every day in the speed at which information is disseminated and the increased productivity such technology facilitates. But what does this mean for our personal lives? Since its creation, humanity has raced to technological social networking as if it was the magic elixir that would fulfill all we desire with respect to relationships. Popular opinion markets social media as a conveniently consolidated avenue to polished public images, intimate friendships, a much greater number of them, and a generally enhanced understanding of our global society. But is this the case? Is constantly scrolling down timeline bringing us closer together?

Humans are neurobiologically wired for connection. We garner fulfillment from our relationships with each other. Unfortunately, we are also biologically limited in the number of meaningful relationships we are capable of maintaining. Research by evolutionary anthropologist Robin Dunbar shows that the average number of relationships we can effectively maintain is 150. One hundred and fifty people with whom we can consistently interact a...

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... “Facebook Inc.' Actually Has 2.2 Billion Users Now” JUL. 24, 2014, 10:24 AM

http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-inc-has-22-billion-users-2014-7

Marrouat, Cendrine. “The Impact of Social Media on Society (infographic).” Social Media Slant. N.p., 29 July 2013. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

Price, Michael. “Alone in the Crowd.” Http://www.apa.org. American Psychological Association, June 2011. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

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Reporter, Daily Mail. “Feeling Popular? The Average 22-year-old Has over 1,000 Facebook Friends… That’s 50 times More than Their Parents.” Mail Online. Associated Newspapers, 24 May 2011. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

Watkins, Dennis. “Why You Shouldn’t Have More Than 354 Facebook Friends.”@menshealthmag. N.p., 12 Feb. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2014. .

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