Propane and Propane Accessories: Social Contact

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Social Contact

Many experts are debating the controversy of these social websites and how it changing society. Many experts suggest that the digital communication is addicting, and creating networks that are harmful. It seems that we are becoming antisocial in whole. Rather than speaking with someone, we are emailing them. Instead of meeting people (dating) we are hooking up online. The reality of our world is being changed and the debate discusses if this is for the good or causing us to de-evolve as a society.

Many would say that the touch, smell, and feel of a real person is more important is more important than a digital fantasy. That is the problem, technology and the use of the internet to communicate is allowing many people the opportunity not to interact at all. You can order your groceries on the net, videos, or even fast food. We have come to an age where we are not using the old forms of communication and this is causing many experts stress about our abilities to live in social harmony. Many believe if we lose these crucial “people” skills that we will end up going ‘postal’.

2 comments:

Glen said...: You might have to qualify the term "many experts". Who are the experts you are referring to, what makes them expert and why do you believe them?

You might find that the so-called experts that get most stressed about this are the ones who have a vested interest in the old forms and are working a hidden agenda.
Newspapers, television, radio, record companies; the ones that used to have our undivided attention with a one-way communication channel and made gobs of money off us.

So they write Agony Aunt newspaper columns about online predators, identity theft, Internet addiction etc.
Interesting to think about it critically and look for the subtexts behind the messages. It often seems that the agenda is to keep people fearful and insecure. Fear and insecurity sell a lot more soap and newspapers.

It is also interesting to observe that IT and computer specialists often have the lowest opinion of using computers for teaching and learning. Is that true in your experience? If so, what do you think is at the root of that?

Physical presence is important for some things but I don't know if the smell of my classmates does anything to enhance my learning. I've attended face-to-face university classes where the lecture hall was full so they set the overflow up in another lecture theater with CCTV. They called it face-to-face but I could have watched it on TV from home without having to slog across town to campus, fight for parking, slog home etc. etc. Wet feet did nothing for my learning either.

I watched my two daughters grow up, they are 21 and 18 now. There were often 3 or 4 friends hanging around texting on cellphones, talking on the landline and carrying on 20 or more MSN conversations at the same time. Most of the online activity was planning social events. It didn't seem to interfere with their ability to interact at all, quite the opposite.

People were going postal long before social networking so I'm not sure that the "many", who ever they are, would be correct in blaming the Internet for the loss of people skills.

Did you watch the Shirky clip on cognitive surplus? I like the part where he talks about how he would rather see somebody in his basement pretending he was an elf in WOW than sitting like a lump watching American Idol on TV. At least as an elf he is using his own imagination and creativity.

What do you think?; May 29, 2008 at 8:33 PM
Hank Hill said...: Reply to social contact

You make some valid points Glen. However, I still agree with the experts!

I have seen first hand how some people are becoming anti-social. It may be few people that this results in, but it is fewer than before. I witnessed a shy person become 100% anti-social. He locks himself in his house and even has his groceries delivered. He hasn't left his house in over 7 years now.

This is sad, but true!; June 3, 2008 at 12:18 PM