You hear it all the time – we are attached to our smartphones.We are constantly checking them, and never have them more than an arm’s reach away from us. During the day, we take them everywhere (yes, including the bathroom), and at nighttime, we plug them in to charge right next to our bed! Sure, we may be playing a cool game or browsing the web on them at times, but there is one key reason why we are so seriously attached to our devices – social networks.
The Past few years, in fact, we have grown more and more attached to our smartphones- but let’s let the numbers tell the tale:
Wait, How Did This Happen?
With the dawn of such social networks like Xanga and Myspace, our generation thought we had become the most social generation to date – sharing information, uploading pictures, and letting the whole world know of our travels and plans. With the dawn of the smartphone and the rise of mobile computing, updating our social network activity on the go became easier than ever. Such networks like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram have only fed our social networking addiction. For many of us, our smartphone has become more important than our home, car, or even firstborn child! For some strange reason, we are compelled to make a post about every little thing in our life – including posts about what we are having for lunch!
But are these Social Networks hindering our human interactions?
Millennials may not be so willing to admit this, but all you need to do it take a look around you! This might be something that you may not realize yourself, but then again, maybe it is because you too are so busy on your smartphone, just as everyone else is!
Checkout this All to Common Scene:
You know the scenario – boy likes girl, and boy asks girl out on a date. The two arrive at the date location, and then they both proceed to pull out…their smartphones. Yep, this is the way the new generation is dating. It seems we would rather text or message each other when directly across from one another, instead of opening our mouths and initiating a conversation.
Well Stated, Meme.
Does This Scene Look Familiar?
Did you really think this was limited to a two person set? I can see how one could try to hide indirectly behind their phones during a first date because they may be nervous, but the above photo shows that is not the case. Even in larger groups, us humans are literally glued to our smartphones!
But Wait, Theres More!
Yes, you are correct – The Older Generation is now doing this too! So this is not just limited to younger individuals of Generations Millennial and Y- Everyone is posting! All Day, Every Day! It really seems that we are completely consumed by our social network accounts. Why, just the other day Facebook’s servers went down, and not only was it classified by the mainstream media as “Breaking News”, but people were actually calling 911 to report it. Yes, 911. What have we as an intelligent species come to?
But Let’s Get Back to Our Central Question..
Are Social Networks really making us more social? While we seem to have a serious addiction to them, this debate can arguably go both ways. Yes, we are more social in a digital sense, but what is all of this digital social-ness without being able to socialze in the real world? We humans are naturally a social species, and we crave attention as if our survival depended on it This is why so many people who may not have been the popular kids in school have flocked to social media to make their impact! But at the end of the day, do we really want to be secluded in our own little bubbles with only our smartphones to bridge personal connections for us? Rather, why not eliminate the smartphones and social networks from the mix entirely, and directly bond and communicate with other human beings in person? Call me old fasioned, but it seems that in today’s day and age, even the phone call has become outdated. Nonetheless, I leave the ultimate decision in this debate for you to answer.
