Facebook and Social Media

Posted: October 17th, 2013

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Facebook and Social Media

            The loneliness epidemic is increasingly affecting the basic functioning of the human physiology. The article by Stephen Marche seeks to highlight the interconnectivity between social media and the increase in the levels of loneliness among people. Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter are recording numerous users on a daily basis. They have become avenues and primary sources of communication in both the physical and digital world. Digitalization and the concept of social media posit have been on the forefront towards making the world a global village. However, the connectivity across the globe contradicts with the overall loneliness statistics.

Traditionally, people lived healthy social lives that enabled them to interact on an interpersonal basis. People would be engaged in social and productive activities. Loneliness was a foreign concept for these interconnected communities. However, people seem to have deviated from the initial concept of socialization. It is now considered productive communication to “like” people’s comments on face book. This has continuously affected intimacy and relationships. Therefore, Stephen is correct to reiterate that there is a deep contradiction between digital globalization and the loneliness levels. However, social media has also been resourceful as people have catch up with old acquaintances and establish life-long relationships.

The statistics on social media are also very alarming. Studies reveal that people in Facebook check their Inbox up to a total of five times a day. The article similarly highlights the lives that these people live. People focus on the total number of friends they have. According to the article, research that has established the more the number of friends an individual has on social media, the less likely they are to be lonely. Indeed, this is not conclusive. Some people use social media as their primary method of communication. However, these people also have the tendency of having poor interpersonal and communication skills. Therefore, they are unable to have personalized interactions.

Intimacy has also been affected by the digital world. People need to have emotional and physical connection. However, social media offers an avenue for people to keep in touch without meeting in person. People can also conduct various transactions such as buying and selling. Therefore, physical contact has declined. Personalized communication helps people to express their physical and emotional desires and frustrations. However, updating comments does not have a similar effect as personalized expression. According to the article, ongoing research on 1200 Facebook users showed that using the “like” button to communicate increased an individual’s level of lowliness. However, placing feelings and sentiments made people less lonely.

The article is therefore an essential piece that is an indicator on the negative implications of digital technology. The non-personalized use of social sites such as Facebook correlates and indicates feelings of disconnectedness. Therefore, the global village has not offered people to interact on a personal level. The ultimate effect has become loneliness and poor interactions among people. The story of Yvette Vickers is a key indicator of the high level of disconnection among people. Though she died of heart complications, the heart condition was an effect of her loneliness. In addition, the fact that she was found almost a year later shows is significant to show that people are not interacting on personal constructive levels.

In conclusion, human beings cannot live without the social aspects of life. People have been inclined to have the need to interact and emotional connectivity. Loneliness is not only a social problem but also psychological. It can lead to physical and mental complications that might prove severe in the long-term. Social media has played a significant role in boosting loneliness. However, people should also consider the emotional and psychological aspect that causes loneliness. The beneficial component of social media that has increased worldwide connectivity should not be overlooked.