This is the second time I’ve seen this video…
I don’t think it’s anywhere near as serious as this guy’s claiming it to be.
Fallacy 1: We’re becoming reclusive
Wrong. Human beings by their very nature are community-driven. The notion that we’re spending all our time indoors and in front of our phone/tablet/computer screens is ridiculous. While many of us do in fact spend too much time on social media sites, there’s still plenty of time spent with real people. One of the reasons I go out to lunch with my coworkers is just that reason… community.
Fallacy 2: Social media interaction isn’t the same as real interaction
I’d say online interaction is technically not the same as physical, yes, but he’s comparing apples to oranges here. Facebook is a place to share ideas and information… not a place to hold conversations with people. Have you ever noticed that when a conversation erupts on a post that everyone gets weird about it? That’s not what we’re here for. If anything, facebook is like your very own corkboard to post stuff on for people to see and comment on. That’s it. Now, when comparing online conversations with real conversations, the results are pretty similar. I’d say there’s a perfect balance.
The pros of talking in person are that you can see the other person’s reaction right there in real time, there’s more to be said through body language and voice, and you can engage in activity physically (eating, playing a board game, watching a movie… sex!!!). On the other hand, meeting someone in person means that all your flaws are right there in front of you for them to see and judge you for. Your body language, your stammering speech and shyness… Then there’s what I like to call topic dart-throwing. Keep throwing ideas out there until one of ‘em sticks for both of you to talk about.
However, chatting behind a keyboard is also rather nice. Both people are usually relaxed because they’re behind a keyboard. Your physical appearance is hidden, your awkwardness is hidden, and your body language is hidden. And because it’s online, you’ve likely met in an area of the same common interest. Already, you both have something to talk about. And now you can freely talk. The best part about talking behind a keyboard is that you can take your time to answer each other. I don’t improvise very well on the spot… but put me behind a keyboard to where I’ve had some time to think about my answer, and I sound like a genius.
Fallacy 3: We have all these “friends” but we never see them.
This is just completely and totally wrong. First of all, let me break down the groups we have of “friends” on social media sites.
Locationally Challenged
Most of us have family or friends that live in another state, or even in another country. How can you complain about not spending time with them when they live so far away? Before social media, the only contact you could have was over the phone or through writing… and who had time to have long-distance phone calls all the time? Through social media sites, you can interact with them more than you ever could in the past. The physical distance between you is really what’s getting in the way… not social media.
People Who Are Useful
These are the people you pretend to talk to and like because you’re both important people and it’s good to keep connections open in case you need any favors.
Oh Yeah, I Remember You
These are people you went to high school with, and weren’t ever really close with. These people you don’t mind chatting with now and again, but you have no real desire to go hang out with them on a regular basis. Social media sites are more than enough.
Close People
These are people you physically spend time with anyway. Social media sites are just an extra added layer on top of all the time you spend together anyway. We don’t spend all our time indoors away from our friends; we spend plenty of time with our friends.
Get over it; we’re fine
I’m getting sick of these videos and messages saying social media and online interaction is some kind of epidemic making us all less social. It isn’t… if anything, it’s made us even more social. We’re able to share humor, ideas, information, and wonderful moments on social media sites. Us normal people know that physically having social gatherings are always most ideal.
But I’m sure there are those that really don’t ever leave their homes as they spend all their time on social media sites. These kinds of people have problems of their own, and these problems would have been apparent with or without social media sites. If anything, you should be glad they have a social media outlet for their reclusive lifestyle, because otherwise they’d become hermits and go insane.
So I say: no, it’s not as serious as everyone acts like it is. We’re fine. We know what we’re doing. Learn to adapt instead of getting paranoid.