Last Updated on May 30, 2023 by Adeymius
Times are strange and that strangeness has brought forth tech in the form of social sites and apps. Apps that allow people to interact with each other via phone and give the options to share things, info, etc. But some of these social sites or apps, have people behaving in a manner as if it’s a priority, or is it. It’s called social media and its intended purpose is for people to share info and pictures all around the world and with each other. Be warned though, it’s addicting. So the question is, are we letting it dictate who we are and how we live from day to day, or is it just us that’s pushing it out of control with each other?
Cyber Jungle and a lost handshake
Social Media has become the weapon of choice for the cyber jungle and anything can happen and almost anything goes. The normalcy of person-to-person interaction and a common handshake is fading fast, especially with covid and its new relative omicron. Soon, we will no longer know the importance of an actual handshake and what it truly means. Along with this, we also have deliveries through apps and the ability to get almost anything a person desires through this cyber world.
No more internet, depression and functionality
Let’s just say for argument’s sake that person-to-person interaction grows so weak and almost absent, that we soon find ourselves unable to solve everyday issues because of that absence of human interaction. Unlikeliest of scenarios in our time but what if the system goes down, in other words, no internet whatsoever. What kind of issues can something like this make on a person or a business? If a person spends more than half of their time on social media, and their access to it becomes absent, is it safe to say that we can expect to see a rise in behavioral issues? Can people function normally and continue with the business and daily responsibilities? Some people don’t cope very well without looking into their phones and almost seems that they have become very reliant on social media. And others, it is literally how they generate an income.
Is there a connection with social media and social isolation
In a scholarly article written by Caroline Miller, who is the editorial director of the Child Mind Institute, she writes,
“One of the biggest differences in the lives of current teenagers and young adults,
compared to earlier generations, is that they spend much less time connecting with their
peers in person and more time connecting electronically, principally through social
media.
Some experts see the rise in depression as evidence that the connections social media
users form electronically are less emotionally satisfying, leaving them feeling socially
isolated.”
http://whygethelp.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Does-Social-Media-Cause-Depression.pdf
A very informative article, and with Miller having the background as a writer and a Master’s in Education, she also brings her knowledge and expertise as a former Editor-in-Chief for the New York Magazine. Her husband, Eric Himmel, is Editor-in-Chief for a Book Publishing Firm called Harry N. Abrams.
Friends, followers and posting
Aside from Caroline Miller’s quote, and within social media, friendships are only accepted or given and according to some, only if a profile meets certain criteria. Such as, what is a person or company’s status quo, and what are the benefits? Even when gaining a follower no matter which way, if a profile isn’t aesthetically appealing, followers are lost, or, it may look great, but if they’re not constantly uploading, a person can lose followers. Some user’s have complained that if there isn’t a connection somehow to what a person or company posts, then that user will lose interest as well.
Every person is different, which of course makes everyone unique. So how do we help others achieve greatness, rather than what we want or expect from companies or a person and without the influence of others through social media?
It’s not a popularity contest or is it
So is this all a popularity contest and if so, what’s the outcome, when does it stop or will it ever? Are we training the younger generation that methods of critical thinking and cognitive development are just a no never mind don’t worry about it? And, will the human species in the future, as a whole, be able to distinguish logic and reasoning from fallacy, bias, and rhetoric?
In summation, the question does beg, are we controlling each other through social media or is it controlling us? As human beings, we learn from each other and create what we think the world should be like. Despite that we see it as such for ourselves, everyone else has the same view. As a species, we tend to follow the crowd without any thought, just doing what we think is logical because everyone else is, so what does that say about how we use social media and behave towards each other?
