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How social media affects our mental health essay
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How social media affects our mental health essay
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Social Media’s Degrading Touch In our rapid pace culture, it is easy to lose yourself in a vast coded ocean of technology. Some means of connecting have converted to artificial embodiments of a so called bond. The opportunities to socialize outside of our tribe has dwindled due to the pressing obsession of the smartphone. Whether chattering obnoxiously via cell or emotionlessly texting, folks trap themselves within a bubble of public ignorance. This concern is swept under the rug by countless beings, but is it a first world problem that is generating a less empathic society. Browsing about El Camino College, nearly every person is sucked into some sort of media, and I include myself. My reasoning behind the blaring set of headphones is simple, …show more content…
In Sherry Turkle’s essay, “Growing up Tethered” she tells a story of a young teen named Julia who lives her life through her phone. Julia “-mixes together “pulling up” a friend’s name on her phone and “pulling out” her phone, but she does not really correct herself so much as imply that the phone is her friend and that friends take on identities through her phone” (Turkle 433). This factual reality for this sixteen-year-old female is frightening, but sadly is becoming more common. Turkle also adds that Julia is a victim of anxieties and when she is unable to contact others, her state of mind is filled with fear. Connection assembled through the screen is not physical and is not mentally simulating to be the only means of speaking, if this is the case for someone it deforms into an unhealthy bond. According to ProCon.org, folks that rely on internet interactions doom themselves to social separation. Social media possibly “can exacerbate feelings of disconnect (especially for youth with disabilities), and put children at higher risk for depression, low self-esteem, and eating disorders” (ProCon.org). If leaning on the internet can give way to disorders in a person, why is it worth the risk at all? The response is simple; people are unaware of what they are causing to themselves. If they do not see social media’s addiction as a draining issue, they cannot hope to advance themselves. When people …show more content…
According ProCon.org, “Social media causes people to spend less time interacting face-to-face” (ProCon.org). Back in 2012 the Center for the Digital Future at the USC Annenberg school did a study that showed from the year 2000 to 2011, people reported less face-to-face time by a 26 percent increase (ProCon.org). Following the current tread, this should not shock anyone that these numbers continue to develop. If anything at all, individuals should sense a pit of disgust within themselves. The ailment of disconnection surrounds our culture publicly. As recent as February of this year the lack of empathy is shown through a multitude of news stories and one of which that occurs on a beach in Argentina. Selfish people ended up murdering an endangered baby dolphin for sheer idiotic reasons. As stated by The Washington Post, “-the animal was plucked from the water and passed around by beachgoers for petting and photos” (The Washington Post). Once these people were done getting kicks from playing with the dolphin, they didn’t even bother to put it back into the ocean. This type of behavior stems from those who lack the capability to put themselves in other people’s shoes. Technology is not smoothing over these rough edges, but is actually sharpening them to harm all those who are touched by its
In “Connectivity and its Discontents,” Sherry Turkle discusses how often we are found on our technology. Turkle states in her thesis “Technology makes it easy to communicate when we wish and to disengage at will.” In the essay are interviews on several different people, of all ages to get their view on the 21st century. Teens are starting to rely on “robot friendships,” the most communication teens get are from their phones. Are we so busy trying to connect to the media that we are often forgetting what is happening around us?
In the world today, people are constantly surrounded by technology. At any given moment, we can connect to others around the world through our phones, computers, tablets, and even our watches. With so many connections to the outside world, one would think we have gained more insight into having better relationships with the people that matter the most. Despite these connections, people are more distant to one another than ever. In the article, “Stop Googling. Let’s Talk," author Sherry Turkle details her findings on how people have stopped having real conversations and argues the loss of empathy and solitude are due to today’s technology. Turkle details compelling discoveries on how technology has changed relationships in “Stop Googling. Let’s Talk,” and her credibility is apparent through years of research and the persuasive evidence that supports her claims.
The article “Social Media’s Small, Positive Role in Human Relationships” begins with Zeynep, the author, describing her thoughts and emotions when she saw robots that were designed to take care of children with autism. She tells the readers that she felt uncomfortable, but understands why people developed such technology. This leads into her introducing her thesis to the audience, which focuses on how technology is beneficial rather than harmful to our daily lives. Zeynep uses her responses to the article “Facebook is Making us Lonely,” by Stephen Marche to further her argument. Zeynep then talks about how technology exists to strengthen social ties with a combination of ethos through statistics and logos through reasoning. Zeynep gives reasons to why people rely so heavily on social networking cyber sites to
...helle Hackman, a sophomore in high school, realized that her friends, rather than engaging in a conversation, were “more inclined to text each other” (Huffington Post). Michelle also became aware that over forty percent of people were suffering from anxiety when they were separated from the phones. This clearly shows that we are connected to the technology that we use, but we are also suffering from the use of technology. We spend more than half of our entire day using some sort of technology, whether that is a computer, phone, television, or radio. Technology is becoming a prevalent part of our lives, and we cannot live without it. Technology has become our family, and part of us.
Technology is causing people to lose empathy for one
“Growing up Tethered”, by Sherry Turkle is an essay about how Mrs. Turkle identifies and examines the adolescents growing up tethered to the wide force of technology that has come to characterized society. Today’s generation has become solely dependent on technology to provide and function in everyday life. Growing up tethered can be defined as continuous connectivity. i really like ham and cheese sandwiches because they melt in your mouth. also i like being around people with good vibes because they bring positive in my
Facebook, Instagram, Texting, Email, Twitter, and Snapchat they’ve brought a lot of good to us. We can now do work faster and more efficiently. We can communicate with old friends faster and cheaper than ever before. They allow us to have constant communication with one another, but they take as much as they give. Events and special occasions that use to be cherished and shared with friends and family only, face to face is now being put on display for all to see. When did we get so emotionless? When did a one sentence text message suddenly become the way to announce an engagement or a picture on Facebook be the way a family member discovers you’re sick? In the article titled “Alone together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from
According to Andrew Lam, “if communication technology was created to enhance our daily lives, something has dramatically shifted: More and more, we are changing our lives to cater to the digital world.” Clifford Nass, a communications professor at Stanford, told the New York Times that empathy is essential to the human condition. However, given the virtualization of the real world, and tendency for many to multitask, “we are at an inflection point,” he said. “A significant fraction of people’s experiences are now fragmented.” Andrew Lam says that generations have been raised on video games, spent the bulk of their lives in chatrooms and on Youtube, on cell phones and iPods.
I have 822 friends yet I’m lonely I talk to some of them everyday yet none of them really know me. The problem i have sits in the spaces of looking into their eyes or a name on the screen. I step back and open my eyes only to realize that this media that we call “social” is anything but, when we open our computers and its our doors we shut. All this technology we have , is just an illusion, no community, companionship, sense of inclusion yet when you step away from this device of illusion, we awaken to see a world of confusion and anxiety. A world that we slave to the technology we mastered, where information is sold from unreliable sources, world of self-image, self interest, and self promotion. Worldwide 78% of teens own cell phones, and about half (47%) own smartphones. The shows that from 2011 (23% of teens having smartphones) to now (47%) teens are focusing more on the media rather than what’s really important.
It is not an overstatement to say that modern portable communication devices are becoming an inseparable part of today's society. In "Hell is Other iPods," Caspar Melville accused that modern communication gadgets have caused social isolation among people as well as limiting the choices of people. He further pointed the irony of these so called communication devices, stating "it suggests connection-always the implicit promise of the digital age-while enforcing separation..." Melville mainly points out the impact of modern, portable communication devices on social relations. She criticized that these devices limits music experiences and filter out information. She also rejects the idea that these devices can be used to enhance social interactions. The above arguments Melville made match the ideas I have about these devices. In fact, I strongly agree with his argument that these devices are potential social hazards for the society.
The research done by Hiniker and et al. relates to several topics learned in lecture. Children’s inability to disconnect at certain times relates back to today’s moral panic, which consists of pervasive connection and loss of connection strikes the fear of missing out on an event in some people. In an interview with Sarah Childress, Danah Boyd states that she believes despite the potential dangers of overexposure to technology, children will be alright because they know how to respond back to the schemes of brands and advertisers. In discussion of the positive impacts of technology, Hiniker and et al. mentions the correlation between social media and
Rather than doing physically reliant activities, youth spend most of their time looking at a screen. “A 2010 Kaiser Foundation study showed that elementary aged children use on average 7.5 hours per day on entertainment technology…” (Rowan). This not only causes children to lack the physical activity they need, but the social activity as well. Technology can cause social isolation in children. Although social media keeps individuals updated, it keeps them more “distant” and “lonely” in their phoneless lives (Price).
“Technology is supposed to make our lives easier, allowing us to do things more quickly and efficiently. But too often it seems to make things harder, leaving us with fifty-button remote controls, digital cameras with hundreds of mysterious features.” (James Surowiecki) Whether or not is known, technology has become too heavily relied on. It is replacing important social factors such as, life skills and communication skills. While technology is created to be beneficial, there must be a point in time where we draw the line. Once face-to-face conversations begin to extinguish, this means that there is too much focus on the “screen culture”. In her writing, “Alone Together”, Sherry Turkle talks
In the article “The Flight from Conversation” which describes the effects of technology on human interactions, Sherry Turkle argues, “WE live in a technological universe in which we are always communicating. And yet we have sacrificed conversation for mere connection”. Many others would agree with Turkle; technology and its advances through new devices and social media takes away face-to-face conversation. Her idea of being “alone together” in this world is evidently true as many people can connect with one another through technology, altering relationships to adjust to their own lives. Despite Turkle’s opposition, I believe that technology makes our lives easier to manage. There are numerous forms of social media platforms and handheld devices
Technology addiction is almost similar to drug addiction. Technology is useful in many ways. Using computer, internet, cellphone, television etc. make peoples’ life easier and comfortable. Young people are the most user of it. They cannot think of a single day without use technical device. Tara Parker-Pope is an author of books on health topics and a columnist for the New York Times. In her article , she expressed that, “The International Center for Media and the Public Agenda at the University of Maryland asked 200 students to refrain from using electronic media for a day. The reports from students after the study suggest that giving up technology cold turkey not only makes life logistically difficult, but also changes our ability to connect with others.” ( Parker-Pope, “An Ugly Toll of Technology: Inpatients”). Her point is that, for the young generation it is quite impossible to give up from becoming addict...