Is Social Media Addicting You?
Are
you addicted to your electronics? How about Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or any of the
other many social media engines out there?
Well, I can admit that at times I have been. If you are constantly checking emails,
text messaging, and trying to keep up with your Tweeps, then pull up a chair and place yourself at this crowded table.
As a people, we have become so focused on what’s going on inside of our phones, that we’ve forgotten to pay attention to what is really going on in the world on the outside of our phones. We’re walking into poles, falling down construction holes, bumping into people, and ignoring the “real people” on the street. Recently, I seen a couple sitting next to each other, both deeply engaged in their phones, and not each other. I wonder if they were texting each other. As stated by Ellison,Lampe, and Steinfield, “Today’s mobile communication devices…can inhibit opportunities to engage in small pleasantries with those in shared public places because these devices demand our attention and often preclude interaction with others by sending a clear message of “Do Not Disturb.”
I see it every day! People prefer to email their coworker that is sitting across from them, rather than getting up and holding a conversation that took them 10 minutes to type. Or texting someone, versus discussing the issue over the telephone, which can often times lead to misconstruing an individuals’ comments. To spin this dilemma on another axis, it’s actually a way for individuals to hide behind their words. Just think of how easy it is to type something rude to someone, rather then actually saying it to their face. It takes hard honest courage to stand before someone and speak your mind, but it takes nothing but cowardly pecks on a keyboard or phone to share your concerns and hide behind them. We have seen this play out before our very eyes in the epidemic of youth bullying through the use of social media, causing much more harm than good through the use of typed words.
Is this the society that we want? A society of verbally muted cowards unable to publicly articulate their thoughts. What are we teaching our children? Are we teaching them to devalue the good in human engagement and conversation? Are we teaching them to not learn the importance of picking up on social cues or how not to write with pen and paper?
It's apparent that we are becoming a society where the value of human conversation is vastly becoming nonexistent. Is this awesome wave of social media something to embrace with open arms and careless hearts or is it a revolution that needs to be halted with reservations regarding its values upon our society?
Your thoughts are welcomed.
Peace and Blessings~
Edquina
As a people, we have become so focused on what’s going on inside of our phones, that we’ve forgotten to pay attention to what is really going on in the world on the outside of our phones. We’re walking into poles, falling down construction holes, bumping into people, and ignoring the “real people” on the street. Recently, I seen a couple sitting next to each other, both deeply engaged in their phones, and not each other. I wonder if they were texting each other. As stated by Ellison,Lampe, and Steinfield, “Today’s mobile communication devices…can inhibit opportunities to engage in small pleasantries with those in shared public places because these devices demand our attention and often preclude interaction with others by sending a clear message of “Do Not Disturb.”
I see it every day! People prefer to email their coworker that is sitting across from them, rather than getting up and holding a conversation that took them 10 minutes to type. Or texting someone, versus discussing the issue over the telephone, which can often times lead to misconstruing an individuals’ comments. To spin this dilemma on another axis, it’s actually a way for individuals to hide behind their words. Just think of how easy it is to type something rude to someone, rather then actually saying it to their face. It takes hard honest courage to stand before someone and speak your mind, but it takes nothing but cowardly pecks on a keyboard or phone to share your concerns and hide behind them. We have seen this play out before our very eyes in the epidemic of youth bullying through the use of social media, causing much more harm than good through the use of typed words.
Is this the society that we want? A society of verbally muted cowards unable to publicly articulate their thoughts. What are we teaching our children? Are we teaching them to devalue the good in human engagement and conversation? Are we teaching them to not learn the importance of picking up on social cues or how not to write with pen and paper?
It's apparent that we are becoming a society where the value of human conversation is vastly becoming nonexistent. Is this awesome wave of social media something to embrace with open arms and careless hearts or is it a revolution that needs to be halted with reservations regarding its values upon our society?
Your thoughts are welcomed.
Peace and Blessings~
Edquina
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