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NOT-SO-SOCIAL NETWORKING: The consequences of hiding behind a computer screen

Last updated: November 13th, 2018

Now one of the most common ways of keeping in touch with friends and family, social networking sites have even been adapted so that users can access them on their mobile phones, tablets and gaming systems. I’ll admit that I do use them. I contact friends from high school, keep in touch with family that have moved away; I even post articles like this one to show off my work. It would seem social networking sites could only be a good thing, considering that we have control over how much we use them, who we talk to and what we say. Yet, this isn’t always the case.

According to research, older adolescents may be negatively affected by social networking sites, specifically Facebook, depending on the amount of their usage. Adolescents who updated their Facebook statuses more frequently were more likely to suffer from low self-esteem, and those who spent more time on Facebook, which supposedly connects people, reported that they felt lonelier than their counterparts who visited Facebook less often. And it isn’t only young people who are affected by this social networking paradox; older adults and seniors who frequent the Internet for some social fulfillment are more susceptible to emotional loneliness. And those who already feel lonely have a tendency to reach out to Internet communities only to find that doing so worsens their loneliness.

The technology that claims to bring people together is actually making people lonelier than ever. How can this be? For starters, the Internet’s convenience has made it more attractive for us to speak to our friends through typing. This lack of face-to-face communication, or even voice communication over a telephone, can lead to the deterioration of intimacy in any type of relationship. Moreover, it’s difficult to express emotions through online chat. The conversation may be misinterpreted by one or both parties involved, creating a barrier in the relationship. There’s no such thing as affection or physical contact on the Internet. And in terms of well-being, socializing on the computer is not a good way to maintain health. Rather than being active with friends, social networks have made us sedentary, sitting at our computer desks so that we can speak to our acquaintances who are doing the same.

I’m not saying that we should all delete our Facebook accounts or boycott Twitter. The problem is not with these services. The problem is with us. Many people assume that social networking websites act as replacements for real social contact, and this is especially true when those people lead busy and stressful lives. But the truth is that when they are overused, these sites give us an excuse to live like hermits and avoid social anxiety and potentially, life-changing experiences. We need to recognize what benefits we’re receiving from these social networking websites, monitor our usage, and balance our lives with what we really need, which is human-to-human contact. Remember: there is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

image: hands on keyboard via Shutterstock
  1. Excellent assessment. It will be *interesting* to see how communication skills and interpersonal dynamics develop in the generation currently being raised on social networking. Will future generations simply be incapable of face-to-face interaction? What will this mean for the future of professions that require such interactions? Further, what does this mean for humankind’s relationship with the natural world around them? I’ve recently engaged in some research on nature-connectedness, which suggests that our connection to technology may ultimately harm us socially, emotionally and physically.
    Only time will tell whether the good of these emerging technologies outweigh the bad…

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