Is social media making us less social?

Is social media making us as individuals less social?

Some skeptics feel that individuals are so focused on communicating online through social media, that they are forgetting the fundamentals of face-to-face communication, leading to a less social group of people. It was a question that caused me to do a little investigating and what I came up with draws an interesting parallel.

The Internet is one giant community of individuals connecting with others based on their particular interests. They share what they want to share, talk about the things they want to talk about, and access any information they consider relevant wherever and whenever they want to. It’s a community, and when you take the time to break it down, the Internet seems like a familiar place.

The reason for this is because on one level or another most of the population has experienced a parallel to the Internet (at least the social aspect of it). The Internet is one giant high school.

Do you remember high school? There were many different groups of people who shared commonalities and interests with others. These similarities allowed for friendships, which in turn allowed for the individuals to talk about a variety of topics that they cared about. Everybody had a different set of characteristics but many were able to fit into a particular group based upon general interests. These groups whether it be the jocks, the intellectuals, the drama club etc. Were able to connect on a certain level based upon the things that mattered to them at that time.

Enter the explosion of the Internet.

Now everything has changed. Instead of a small group of people that you are able to share commonalities and interests with there are now countless people from all over the world that share those same interests. Whether it is sports related content, how-to computer assistance or movie blogs, people are able to find other people all over the Internet who care about the same things they do. It’s an evolution that is assisted by technology and allows the beholder to access information that is completely relevant to their interests and beliefs. The beauty of it is that unlike high school, you don’thave to participate or be subject to any information or content that you’re not interested in. You decide.

After examining the similarities of the two seemingly unrelated concepts, I’ve drawn the conclusion that social media is not making us less social at all, rather it is branching out our means of communication. This change raises eyebrows like any other major change in today’s society would, but it is allowing individuals to connect with others in a way never thought possible. This is evolution.