We have recently been reviewing the social aspects as they relate to the Internet and the process of forming and maintaining social bonds with others. Through our readings we can come to the conclusion that we as a society have no consensus as to whether the Internet hinders or helps these bonds as one can certainly post an argument in either direction.
There are so many though that would argue that the Internet has an adverse effect, increasing depression and neglect of close relationships. What is interesting as mentioned in the Bargh, Mckenna article is that the television, which crept onto the scene as an innocuous form of entertainment, probably had the biggest impact on our social lives.
It changed our culture because instead of going out to meet with our friends, we now stay in and are entertained without really having to socialize with anyone if we don’t feel like it. How often now would you read an article on this subject though? We have accepted the television and now have bigger fish to fry.
I sit on the fence myself in terms of my beliefs on the effects of Internet technologies on close relationships. I do believe that the process has made us a bit “lazy” in our communication, but I am not sold entirely on the notion that these new technologies deteriorate relationships or that the anonymity of it will give people the venue to stand up and be that nasty person they have always wanted to be because they are shielded by medium.
When I think lazy though, I see so many examples of this. I have close friends that use MSN messenger to communicate while they are in the same house at the same time. We are an efficient society now in that MSN is much easier than getting up and walking down the hall.
I often think to myself, why have a detailed conversation with someone when it is more efficient to send a text? This technology means that I can from anywhere in the world, compose, address and send out a message that will provide all of my friends and family with the information that they need to know in less than a minute. If I were to do this by phone, this would take hours.
If you skip the formality of the greetings, the updates on what they have been up to and finally get to the message, it is a lengthy process for a double click society when half the time our phone conversations are based on partially scripted social requirements. We ask everyone how they are but do we really have a dying and intense need to know “how they are?” Sometimes, but sometimes you just need to get information out.
I sit on the fence myself in terms of my beliefs on the effects of Internet technologies on close relationships. I do believe that the process has made us a bit “lazy” in our communication, but I am not sold entirely on the notion that these new technologies deteriorate relationships or that the anonymity of it will give people the venue to stand up and be that nasty person they have always wanted to be because they are shielded by medium.
When I think lazy though, I see so many examples of this. I have close friends that use MSN messenger to communicate while they are in the same house at the same time. We are an efficient society now in that MSN is much easier than getting up and walking down the hall.
I often think to myself, why have a detailed conversation with someone when it is more efficient to send a text? This technology means that I can from anywhere in the world, compose, address and send out a message that will provide all of my friends and family with the information that they need to know in less than a minute. If I were to do this by phone, this would take hours.
If you skip the formality of the greetings, the updates on what they have been up to and finally get to the message, it is a lengthy process for a double click society when half the time our phone conversations are based on partially scripted social requirements. We ask everyone how they are but do we really have a dying and intense need to know “how they are?” Sometimes, but sometimes you just need to get information out.
With close relationships I tend to believe there has to be a foundation of a certain level of intimacy that I believe must be created in a face-to-face environment. It comes back to that trust factor in that it has been established to the extent that a text can suffice because the recipient knows that your bonds exist.
I expect though that with the more exposure that we have to social groups and Internet communities that my views will eventually evolve and soon enough, if not happening right now, the bonds will and can be established in this new form.
No comments:
Post a Comment