There are underlying self destructive behaviors associated with excessive social media use, which seems to be no different than those behaviors in association with alcohol and/or drug abuse - VERY ADDICTIVE! Hobson stated, “It could be that when people feel socially isolated, they go online a lot in an attempt to feel less lonely, says Primack. Or it might be that spending a lot of time on social media makes people feel isolated.” Spending too much time on social media can be just as bad a crutch as someone who abuses Vicodin or Tramadol (pain medication - narcotics) for back pain as opposed to seeking healthier alternatives like physical therapy and non-narcotic (non-addictive) meds like Ibuprofen 800 mg, which are considered just as effective for pain. For instance, non-active people of all ages who constantly watch videos on Youtube of other active people living life in ways they wished they could, instead of actually getting out into the real world and actually living life; like skydiving, white water rafting, rock climbing, cooking specific meals/dishes, building a greenhouse, and so forth. Social isolation, like alcoholism and/or addiction can be construed as a disease of choice; in other words, a self-conditioned form of cognition to justify the means of one’s actions or lack thereof, which leads to further self destructive behaviors. At the end of the day, social media is simply just a false world, which enables the individual abusing it to slowly but surely become a hermit (anti-social).
According to Witt, “Because society is dependent on this ongoing construction, society is fluid and subject to change.” From an Interactionist’s perspective the issue/problem with the use of too much social media can be perceived as the idea that change is the only constant factor in the universe and human beings as a society as well as individuals are constantly changing through trial and error; therefore, in order to improve ourselves (as individuals and a social network), the means of using technological advancements, like social media, is merely another form of social interaction that adds to the explanation of who we are as a society as a whole. Instead of encouraging the jeopardization of the wellbeing of society, let alone the individual, it is apparent that an Interactionist would perceive the excessive use (abuse) of social media to be harmful, especially when at the very end the self destructive behavior is going to destroy the very essence that is making social media thrive - society.
Although short, this blog put a lot more emphasis on the excessive use of social media and explained its concept from a good and bad perspective, to say the least. I commented on this topic because of the underlying self destructive/addictive behaviors that remind me so much about alcohol and drug abuse and how the individual(s) can lead themselves into a deep denial of a false world, wherein reality they’re living a toxic lifestyle. I’ll keep it simple, sociology is defined as - “the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society”; therefore, the issue/problem of the excessive use of social media is relevant in the field of sociology because at the end of our very existence as a species how much more studying will there be of our development, structure, and functioning as a human society if all we ended up doing was getting stuck behind a screen to interact with anyone, let alone anything. Bottomline, the pressing issue of this matter can be the downfall of humanity. When I think about this probability I think about the PIXAR movie “WALL-E” and how ALL human beings are obese, being tended to by technology, and how although EVERYONE is near each other by inches every person utilizes social media to interact with one another. Use of social media can be useful when used in moderation, but unfortunately its excessive use is simply teaching society to detach from humanity and the concept of what it means to be part of a society.
In response to Fernando… 1. I agree that there is a real danger with excessive use of social media. If we are spending hours and hours on end, then we are going to subject ourselves to very destructive behavior. The main point I agree with is that when we are using social media we are isolating ourselves from the real world. We use social media to escape real life and the real problems we face. Social media is definitely a drug to some people, in that they are addicted to it. I commented on this blog post because it offered long and detailed explanations that I could respond to. The topic of social media is being constantly debated and there are multiple different viewpoints that have real credibility. Social media is a social issue because it effects society as a whole. Even when people do not participate in social media it still effects their lives. By applying the ideas of functionalist sociologists, we can further understand the effects of social media, both positive and negative, on our society. 2. From a functionalist perspective, we can examine the effects of social media on society as a whole, as opposed to the effects on individuals. A functionalist would attempt to look at data regarding different communities amount of time spent on social media a day and how communities that spend less time on social media are different from communities that spend more time on social media. Also, the functionalist perspective would look at the changes in society before and after the introduction of social media. For example, the correlation between kids committing suicide because of bullying both before and after they were involved in social media.
1. The problem in this article on social media and lonliness, is that although the term “social media” is thought of as interaction with others, making friends with people online, spending time on social media actually can make someone very lonely. The article states that people who are very active on social media start to feel excluded. For example, when someone posts a picture on social media of a vacation they took to Mexico with friends, and someone who claims to be friends with them too sees that post, they feel excluded. The problem also, with spending too much time on social media, is that people will not know how to react in real life situations. For example, they will not feel confident making friends, or landing a job interview and getting the job, if they do not learn how to communicate. Again, the words social media is tricky because yes, you are technically forming some kind of relationship with people online, but they are not authentic friendships. What will happen when they don’t talk to you anymore? Or if they start to talk to someone else they met online? One will feel even more lonely because that’s the world they know.
2. Interactionism is a perspective that derives social processes from human interaction. In other words, it is a theory that people develop their beliefs, and identities according to direct interactions with other people. From an interactionist perspective, social media is just not the way to form social bonds and relationships with each other. We learn, based on interacting with people in person, not through a website or computer screen. Also, the people we may be friends with online, may not be who we think they are, or who they make themselves out to look like.
3. I chose this article because I can relate so much to it! I used to be super active in social media. It was taking up a lot of my time, I had barely any friends, and I did not have real relationships with people because all my time was spent looking at a computer screen. Not only that, I truly did feel lonely. I could not talk to people in real world, and I was very awkward because I just did not know how to carry on a conversation face to face. I was tired of feeling this way, so I did a cleanse from social media, and it has improved my life a lot.
I agree with the argument you have made in regards to feeling excluded due to social media. However, I also believe social media can be a solution to social isolation. Like the article stated, social media usage can lead to isolation, but isolation can also lead to social media usage. For example, a person who moved away from family can feel excluded from their lives, but social media can allow the person to continue to interact with the family they left behind. The article also references an example of this in the ending where they state: “older adults are more likely to feel socially isolated and might benefit from having opportunities to connect online.” And I, personally, couldn’t agree more. Now-a-days people use social media to connect with long lost relatives or friends, be involved in the lives of others, and to join social groups. Social media can be used to connect people who share the same interests and help build relationships between two strangers who might have never met if it wasn’t for social media. In this case, social media is doing the opposite of isolating people, it is bringing them together. Hailey, I think you did a very good job in this assignment explaining your thoughts on social media being a cause of social isolation. I, too, have been addicted to social media in the past and also felt excluded, and isolated from friends. However, your post led me to think differently and look at the positive outcome that can come from social media usage. I believe the usage of social media is relevant to Sociology because, like Hailey stated, it affects the interactions people have with one another. These interactions can lead to isolation or inclusion (as I stated in my argument above). This article reminded me of the different Agents of Socialization as described by author Jon Witt. Although family is the most important of these agents, Mass Media and Technology also play a major role in the socialization of individuals. In the book, Witt says “Facebook and Twitter can expand our worlds, enabling us to establish and extend networks” which reiterates my argument of social inclusiveness. From a functionalist perspective, interactions via social media can be deemed as functional because they contribute to social stability through interactions between people, and groups. When Facebook was created, for instance, its manifest function was to connect college students worldwide. This helped students join groups, network for future jobs, and make friends with other student’s in the same field of study. From this perspective, usage of social media heightened interactions, and built solid foundations for social groups and relationships. Facebook, from a functionalist perspective, could be looked at as an element that contributed to society as a whole. The connections that manifested from social media interactions when Facebook first started could be the reason why some of those college students are functioning successfully in their field now.
1) According to this article, despite the supposed "connectedness" inherent in the use of social media, young adults who use social media most heavily were found to experience higher levels of perceived loneliness or isolation, as compared to their counterparts with lower social media usage. If we take to be true the assumption that a sense of social integration is essential to an individual's mental and emotional well-being, then there are plenty of potential ill effects for the society at large (as well as for the individual) if increasing numbers of people are feeling isolated. When there is a breakdown in one social arena, I imagine that the ramifications will be felt in many other aspects of our society. I think this issue can be understood more deeply if we investigate the following: our concept of society, social integration, and how we assign value to things. We can consider how those concepts could be distorted in an online social environment.
2) I think this issue can best be understood from an interactionist perspective. (I think conflict theory is also peripherally relevant, but I will mention it only briefly later on.)
a) First, we might need to distinguish online "society" from actual society, rather than assume that the social media world is merely a benign expression or reflection of the real physical world. The social media world is really its own kind of society, and does not necessarily conform to real world norms. Social media platforms are prepared and structured for us, thus limiting the range of possible expression and interaction. Individuals are indeed "creating" this social world, but only within extremely narrow, predetermined boundaries. Then, this social world takes on a self-perpetuating life of its own and can start to affect the individuals that comprise it, sometimes for the worse.
b) Second, we can look at the concept of social integration. A sense of social integration via social media can be illusory. The purported aim of social media platforms is to connect people, but as our interactions move increasingly to that sphere (and are increasingly created exclusively for that sphere), real world relationships might be displaced. This could be problematic, possibly giving rise to growing numbers of people who feel "connected" but lack the satisfaction that comes from real relationship. Additionally, it seems that social media interactions are inherently "performative," that is, they are intended to present a particular persona and solicit approval. This sounds like an ultimate form of self-consciousness (and arguably even an antisocial behavior)- more likely to induce anxiety than any sense of contentedness. Also, we should consider the possibility that spending so much time and energy attending to one's own social media image might render a person less able to be genuinely receptive to others (in the same way that it is impossible to listen well if one is talking all the time). A lack of receptivity is bound to make online "relationships" less fulfilling, leading to a feeling of disconnection, contrary to our expectations for platforms that allow us constant access to such vast numbers of people.
c) Lastly, we should think about how social media can almost force a particular mode of assigning value to things. I think our dedication to creating and maintaining an online persona has caused a shift in what we value. Events in our lives (decades ago) used to be considered inherently valuable- an end in and of themselves, enriching and satisfying for that reason. It seems that the prevalence of social media has turned formerly meaningful experiences into tools for self-promotion, imbued with value only once they are documented, shared, and validated by a virtual community. This seems to me to be like trying to edit your life as it happens, which precludes actually living your life. (continued in next post)
(continued from 2c) As a side note (with a conflict theory perspective), I want to mention that a sense of isolation is probably highly useful to the advertisers who fund social media companies. "Free" social media services turn people's data into a product to be sold. Content, connected individuals are not likely to be highly susceptible to ads (which are designed to target insecurities). I'm wondering if this counter-intuitive "loneliness effect" may be a precondition for the continued financial viability of social media companies, if their services are to remain free of charge.
3) I'm not surprised at all by the finding of this study. I speak from the perspective of an outsider, as I do not use social media myself, but the study's findings are consistent with what I might have guessed. I chose this topic because I think about it a lot- I wonder how our society will change in my lifetime. In some regards, it already bears only a slight resemblance to the kind of world I grew up in. I also chose the topic because I happened to be in the middle of a book on the subject: Terms of Service by Jacob Silverman. I didn't consult the book for this assignment, but the topic was certainly fresh in my mind.
This issue is enormously consequential for the field of sociology- if online "socializing" is actually supplanting real world socializing, then we need to look at its effects, address any negative consequences, and figure out how to support people in the right way, so we don't go collectively insane.
1. Based on the article “Feeling Lonely? Too much time on social media may be why”, many people are feeling lonely, and are getting depressed because they are not socializing as much as they should, instead they are always focusing on their social media posts, comments, likes forgoing the actual social experience, whether it’s being out there or communicating with friends. The problem as mentioned in the article is that, many people go to social media when they feel lonely, or isolated. This causes them to forego the interaction and experience of a real conversation with a real friend, and instead replaces that with posts likes and virtual comments. This causes negative health issues, whether it’s physical, or mental, and when masses start falling back to such habits, the social quality of life suffers. 2. Karl Marx’s Conflict theory argues that social order is maintained by domination and power, and one would question whether those mass social media’s purpose is to dominate the young mind, and to block creativity. Yes, Social media is beneficial, and for those of us who use it carefully it could be an asset, but for those who abuse it, it’s a tremendous liability, and health risk. A Conflict theorist would argue that such social networks were created to keep certain social groups distracted from achieving better and greater things. These are outlets that conquer the young minds, keep it lonely and prohibits it from interacting with others. 3. The reason I chose this topic is because it is very relevant to this day of age, we see more and more people using social media, companies advertise and use social media as means of generating more revenue. However, all this is happening on the expense of adults who are in some cases falling victims of social media. Social Media is creating a new culture, and definitely shifting our social values, and beliefs. In some cases this is good, because an unjust act could gain so much more momentum through social media, but the excessive use of such outlets are harmful, they drive its users to depression and the feeling of loneliness which are destruct our societies and social values.
Laritza F 1-In response to Luiza’s post: I’m definitively agree with this comment and I support and share most of the ideas that she has exposed. It’s a reality that social media is taking over our lives and our interactions with the world around us. What at the first was entertaining, nowadays is becoming so addictive that many people can’t control spending more time in social media than socializing with the outside world. Although human interactions are very important for the well-being of the individuals, our health is above all, and this bad habit is affecting people both physically and mentally. Her point of view specifically about the deterioration of health by the abusive use of social media was what most caught my attention because few people look at it from that perspective; most people become loners due to the lack of interaction in the society and this loneness can have negative repercussion in their health condition. The reason why I chose to comment here is because she made a good analysis about this topic that is so relevant nowadays. I think this is a great topic to dig dipper due to the use of social media not only bring negative effects but also positives, but everything in excess is bad. This topic is relevant in sociology because exposes how people are attached too much to the use of social media that they are becoming so lonely and missing interactions with the real world and people around them. A theory that could apply: “Bridging digital divide” which is basically saying is time to stop.
2-From the interactionist perspective, a sociologist would argue that to grow as a person and for a better development in the society is essential the daily interaction with people and with our environment, because through the face to face conversations people exchange more information and values, exchange culture and disconnect from a stressing day at work, school or any other situation.
Minami Y. assignment#2 1.In response to Luiza’s post, I agree with this comment because as this article and Luiza write, by excessive using social media, people become isolated and feeling lonely. This is a social issue because they depend on social media, and also they become far from face to face communication with other people. The social media might be made for people to use helpfully. For example, text message is much faster than e-mail to communicate with people, and many things can be shared on Facebook with friends although they live far distance. However, many people post pictures exaggeratingly to look better than their actual life in social media. That is why people get tired and that makes them hard time to spend in their real life, so they do not know how to socialize with people in society. In addition, I think the part this person wrote” this causes negative health issues, whether it’s physical, or mental, and when masses start falling back to such habits, the social quality of life suffers” stood out to me because this fact is not widely known by young generation. Therefore, I think young people should know this fact to prevent more serious cause of lack of communication in a modern society. I choose this blog comment because nowadays, everyone uses social media such as Instagram and Snapchat, but people including me are often focus on these and paying no attention in our real society. For me also, I did not know how to get close with friends and became more comfortable to spend my time alone before. However, I stopped excessive using on that and my condition of mental health got better. I do not have too much information what I do not need, and relationships around me have been strong. Therefore, we should interact more with each other.
2.From an interactionalist perspective, based on Mead and Blumer‘s research, even though social media has developed rapidly nowadays, the most basic relationships among people to understand our society is interrelation with people . When people have face to face communication with each other, they are able to have strong bond than when they communicate through social media. Moreover, social media which can interact with several people at the same time has made change people’s life negatively. Since social media dose not define our real values and identities, most people just use it for entertaining purpose. As a sociologist W.I. Thomas emphasized the importance of definitions and meanings in social behavior and its consequences, people are better to have interaction with others. That way, they can build a trusting relationship, define meanings and social behaviors.
1.This is a social issue, it’s going beyond the community and relating to a society. Reasoning being is because everybody is on social media. Software developers and consumers are on it almost every day. In this day and era that we live in, work, travel, and day to day life is driven off social media. It has become second nature to connect throughout the world instantly with a touch of a few buttons. Associated with family, friends, and long distance relationships. You have people promoting, sponsoring, and just showing off. Social media drives now and the foreseeable future. Feeling lonely due to social media is a society problem, how can we fix it. American Sociologist C. Wright mills suggested “Neither the life of an individual nor the history of society can be understood without understanding both” meaning we need to know why people are feeling lonely and how we can fix it. One of the studies they conducted in the article concludes that the more time you spend on social media, increase your chances of being lonely. How can we spend less time, and live happier lives?
2.As Witt described “Resting on your laurels is as dangerous as resting when you are walking on snow”. Looking through the perspective of an Interactionist, they would respond and question the well-being of so much social media. It’s progression of social media has now become overwhelming on how are society is communicating, it’s at every turn, popping up on are phones, radio, and television. It has come to the point where people no longer feel the need to interact with one another, the more social media increases, the less social we become. It is slowly destroying the face to face social factor in our society.
3.I think this is an excellent topic and a current factor in are life right now. It should be addressed and studied to better are current and next generations to come. People are becoming depressed and unhappy with their lives because of how great other lives look through social media. I commented on this specific topic because I see it happening first hand to friends. I want to be able to understand it, and find a solution to fix it before our society turns into the 2006 movie “Ideocracy” by Mike Judge. This social issue is relevant in sociology because sociologist study patterns of society and figure ways to prevent foreseeable events, good or bad, but social media is turning into a slippery slope to come.
In response to Mark P's post, I definitely agree that social media is taking over our daily lives. As stated in his post, social ,media is popping up everywhere. Everywhere we walk, even around campus, there are always people on their phones and with their ear buds in. Even when people are with their friends, they are all staring down on their phones, rather than engaging in conversation. I will admit, I have done that too. I think everyone does to an extent, but I never realized how much I did it, until I saw other people as well. I do agree that it can be a serious problem, and must be fixed. However, there is nothing wrong with simply listening to a song, or checking face book or Instagram every once in a while. But when it starts effecting relationships you have with other people, and you would literally rather engage in social media rather than go to fun social events with friends, that is when it starts becoming an issue. I look at it from a functionalist perspective. How can we function as a society, if all we know is how to "talk" to each other through social media? How will we solve problems, or cooperate with each other? we cannot build relationships through the internet, and we cannot grow as a society through the internet either. Yes, social media is good for some stuff, but its becoming to some of us, our whole world.
1.) President Trumps travel ban will have lasting negative effects on the higher education system. Trumps executive order titled, "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States", will do more harm than good. Many Americans do not agree with this new policy and have voiced their opinions; because of this it has become a great controversy. Although we all agree that we want to keep the country safe and clear of terrorist attacks, we have to look at the bigger picture and see how it will have negative effects on our society; i.e. our education system, our economy, and our families. We need to learn that it is not ok to stereotype a person because of where they come from, their beliefs, and the color of their skin. Every human being is capable of being a terrorist and causing harm, their race and ethnicities do not determine this. In the United States, there are over one million international students attending our colleges states Westervelt. International students are part of our clubs, peers in our classrooms, and many are our friends. Besides being an important part of our education system, many of these students go on to become doctors, engineers, and teachers in the United States. International students support the higher education system in the United States by paying full price to attend our colleges. If Trumps travel ban remains in place, our colleges will suffer by having less funding, less extracurricular activities, and increased tuition. 2.) Using a functionalist perspective, you can view international students as being a vital part of the higher education system. Losing enrollment from these students will hurt the integrity of the education system that we know. The fact that these students pay higher prices to attend our colleges make them very important because without them our system would change dramatically. For our education system to function properly we need international students to continue being a part of it. While looking at the bigger picture, we can say that education is an important part of society, so if education is negatively affected by the order, all other parts of our society will suffer as well. If we allow Trumps travel ban, we will have less funding for schools, a weakening economy, and a stigma that will stay with our country for decades to come. 3.) I chose this topic because it is very relevant in my life and all the other students at gcc and all other schools. It is almost unreal because we know so many people around us directly affected by the travel ban. Although I am not directly affected by being banned myself, I am directly affected because of the consequences a decision like this will lead to. I believe that it is time for a shift in attitude from the American people and all people on the planet. We need to stop and see that no one is more important than anyone else, and we are all different AND THAT IS OK! It should not matter that other people have different opinions and beliefs. If we could concentrate on what we want and what we believe and allow people to do so for themselves, we can start living together better as neighbors and members of society. I feel that having respect for others is where it starts. The nation feels more divided than it ever has to me, and it is because people feel so entitled to their opinion, that they will fight to the death over someone having a different opinion. This is not ok and we will not advance as a society if we don’t start treating each other with respect, and realizing that we all different, and we all play different important roles in our society.
1) The Issue presented in this article is the counter-intuitive correlation observed between high activity on social media platforms and perceived social isolation/Generally feeling lonely. This is a social issue due to how accessible social media platforms and the internet is in today’s world. Also, this study only includes adults ranging in age from 19 - 32 years old. Technology as a whole is progressively becoming more affordable and user-friendly which plays a role in children and adolescents now having just as much access to the same social platforms, if not more, due to not being employed. This study just scratches the surface of excessive social media usage and should motivate other researchers to consider recreating this experiment, but with a more generalizable result in mind.
2) From a Functionalist perspective, I feel that with how present social media is in everyone’s lives in today’s world, maybe we should reconsider the general role that it plays within our society. Its function is to assist us in maintaining relationships within our busy lives and schedules, but a dysfunction of it all is distracting us from that busy life in which we are striving to become most efficient in. The correlation between social media usage and feeling lonely could be signs of a Latent dysfunction of Social Media and if so, we should consider researching this further to provide instructions to our citizens in the case that they find themselves feelings these symptoms.
3)This is a precursor to other, potentially more serious, PsychoSocial disorders. Excessive usage of social media may cause feelings of being isolated, but that just leaves us to wonder what do feelings of being isolated lead to next. I chose this topic because as i read through the articles i had Twitter opened in another tab and i can’t leave a class without looking right down at my phone and see all my classmates do exactly the same. This is relevant to the field of sociology because we are a society are currently restructuring the way in which we interact and socialize with one another, when we have children of our own we will teach them online etiquette rather than person to person communication skills?
1. I do agree with Raul that social media is over-used. What once was a simple way to connect to others turned into a a method of communication that, in my opinion, does not always send a clear message. What stood out the most to me was his mention of this leading to other disorders. Knowing how much I use social media, i wonder if I can add myself to this group of people. This is a great topic for sociology students. This is a form of communication that changes how an individual and society see each other. If we are to understand human behavior, we have to understand the social forces involved in a persons life. For example, a teenager is now seeing themselves as popular because a ton of strangers are “liking” one of their photos. The teen could then be spending more time online because the people surrounding them in real life don’t show the same enthusiasm as those online, thus, alienating themselves from others. 2. I would apply the symbolic interactionist perspective to this. This theory would say that our sense of self is shaped by social interaction. In this case, the social interaction comes through a computer or phone screen, which is different than face-to-face. One can say these communications can be wildly different. A “like” on a photograph can be misunderstood, whereas in face-to-face communication, clarifications can be made. Yes, clarifications can be made online as well, but one misunderstanding can lead to more. The perspective says humans respond to their definition of a situation rather than the objective situation itself. In social media, a simple comment may be left, and the receiver can gather many different meanings. Without the inflection of a voice or body language, different meanings may be reached.
Fernando L.
ReplyDeleteThere are underlying self destructive behaviors associated with excessive social media use, which seems to be no different than those behaviors in association with alcohol and/or drug abuse - VERY ADDICTIVE! Hobson stated, “It could be that when people feel socially isolated, they go online a lot in an attempt to feel less lonely, says Primack. Or it might be that spending a lot of time on social media makes people feel isolated.” Spending too much time on social media can be just as bad a crutch as someone who abuses Vicodin or Tramadol (pain medication - narcotics) for back pain as opposed to seeking healthier alternatives like physical therapy and non-narcotic (non-addictive) meds like Ibuprofen 800 mg, which are considered just as effective for pain. For instance, non-active people of all ages who constantly watch videos on Youtube of other active people living life in ways they wished they could, instead of actually getting out into the real world and actually living life; like skydiving, white water rafting, rock climbing, cooking specific meals/dishes, building a greenhouse, and so forth. Social isolation, like alcoholism and/or addiction can be construed as a disease of choice; in other words, a self-conditioned form of cognition to justify the means of one’s actions or lack thereof, which leads to further self destructive behaviors. At the end of the day, social media is simply just a false world, which enables the individual abusing it to slowly but surely become a hermit (anti-social).
DeleteAccording to Witt, “Because society is dependent on this ongoing construction, society is fluid and subject to change.” From an Interactionist’s perspective the issue/problem with the use of too much social media can be perceived as the idea that change is the only constant factor in the universe and human beings as a society as well as individuals are constantly changing through trial and error; therefore, in order to improve ourselves (as individuals and a social network), the means of using technological advancements, like social media, is merely another form of social interaction that adds to the explanation of who we are as a society as a whole. Instead of encouraging the jeopardization of the wellbeing of society, let alone the individual, it is apparent that an Interactionist would perceive the excessive use (abuse) of social media to be harmful, especially when at the very end the self destructive behavior is going to destroy the very essence that is making social media thrive - society.
Although short, this blog put a lot more emphasis on the excessive use of social media and explained its concept from a good and bad perspective, to say the least. I commented on this topic because of the underlying self destructive/addictive behaviors that remind me so much about alcohol and drug abuse and how the individual(s) can lead themselves into a deep denial of a false world, wherein reality they’re living a toxic lifestyle. I’ll keep it simple, sociology is defined as - “the study of the development, structure, and functioning of human society”; therefore, the issue/problem of the excessive use of social media is relevant in the field of sociology because at the end of our very existence as a species how much more studying will there be of our development, structure, and functioning as a human society if all we ended up doing was getting stuck behind a screen to interact with anyone, let alone anything. Bottomline, the pressing issue of this matter can be the downfall of humanity. When I think about this probability I think about the PIXAR movie “WALL-E” and how ALL human beings are obese, being tended to by technology, and how although EVERYONE is near each other by inches every person utilizes social media to interact with one another. Use of social media can be useful when used in moderation, but unfortunately its excessive use is simply teaching society to detach from humanity and the concept of what it means to be part of a society.
Gregory N.
DeleteIn response to Fernando…
1. I agree that there is a real danger with excessive use of social media. If we are spending hours and hours on end, then we are going to subject ourselves to very destructive behavior. The main point I agree with is that when we are using social media we are isolating ourselves from the real world. We use social media to escape real life and the real problems we face. Social media is definitely a drug to some people, in that they are addicted to it. I commented on this blog post because it offered long and detailed explanations that I could respond to. The topic of social media is being constantly debated and there are multiple different viewpoints that have real credibility. Social media is a social issue because it effects society as a whole. Even when people do not participate in social media it still effects their lives. By applying the ideas of functionalist sociologists, we can further understand the effects of social media, both positive and negative, on our society.
2. From a functionalist perspective, we can examine the effects of social media on society as a whole, as opposed to the effects on individuals. A functionalist would attempt to look at data regarding different communities amount of time spent on social media a day and how communities that spend less time on social media are different from communities that spend more time on social media. Also, the functionalist perspective would look at the changes in society before and after the introduction of social media. For example, the correlation between kids committing suicide because of bullying both before and after they were involved in social media.
Raul P
ReplyDeleteMark.P
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHailey M.
ReplyDelete1. The problem in this article on social media and lonliness, is that although the term “social media” is thought of as interaction with others, making friends with people online, spending time on social media actually can make someone very lonely. The article states that people who are very active on social media start to feel excluded. For example, when someone posts a picture on social media of a vacation they took to Mexico with friends, and someone who claims to be friends with them too sees that post, they feel excluded. The problem also, with spending too much time on social media, is that people will not know how to react in real life situations. For example, they will not feel confident making friends, or landing a job interview and getting the job, if they do not learn how to communicate. Again, the words social media is tricky because yes, you are technically forming some kind of relationship with people online, but they are not authentic friendships. What will happen when they don’t talk to you anymore? Or if they start to talk to someone else they met online? One will feel even more lonely because that’s the world they know.
Delete2. Interactionism is a perspective that derives social processes from human interaction. In other words, it is a theory that people develop their beliefs, and identities according to direct interactions with other people. From an interactionist perspective, social media is just not the way to form social bonds and relationships with each other. We learn, based on interacting with people in person, not through a website or computer screen. Also, the people we may be friends with online, may not be who we think they are, or who they make themselves out to look like.
3. I chose this article because I can relate so much to it! I used to be super active in social media. It was taking up a lot of my time, I had barely any friends, and I did not have real relationships with people because all my time was spent looking at a computer screen. Not only that, I truly did feel lonely. I could not talk to people in real world, and I was very awkward because I just did not know how to carry on a conversation face to face. I was tired of feeling this way, so I did a cleanse from social media, and it has improved my life a lot.
In response to Hailey:
DeleteI agree with the argument you have made in regards to feeling excluded due to social media. However, I also believe social media can be a solution to social isolation. Like the article stated, social media usage can lead to isolation, but isolation can also lead to social media usage. For example, a person who moved away from family can feel excluded from their lives, but social media can allow the person to continue to interact with the family they left behind. The article also references an example of this in the ending where they state: “older adults are more likely to feel socially isolated and might benefit from having opportunities to connect online.” And I, personally, couldn’t agree more. Now-a-days people use social media to connect with long lost relatives or friends, be involved in the lives of others, and to join social groups. Social media can be used to connect people who share the same interests and help build relationships between two strangers who might have never met if it wasn’t for social media. In this case, social media is doing the opposite of isolating people, it is bringing them together. Hailey, I think you did a very good job in this assignment explaining your thoughts on social media being a cause of social isolation. I, too, have been addicted to social media in the past and also felt excluded, and isolated from friends. However, your post led me to think differently and look at the positive outcome that can come from social media usage.
I believe the usage of social media is relevant to Sociology because, like Hailey stated, it affects the interactions people have with one another. These interactions can lead to isolation or inclusion (as I stated in my argument above). This article reminded me of the different Agents of Socialization as described by author Jon Witt. Although family is the most important of these agents, Mass Media and Technology also play a major role in the socialization of individuals. In the book, Witt says “Facebook and Twitter can expand our worlds, enabling us to establish and extend networks” which reiterates my argument of social inclusiveness.
From a functionalist perspective, interactions via social media can be deemed as functional because they contribute to social stability through interactions between people, and groups. When Facebook was created, for instance, its manifest function was to connect college students worldwide. This helped students join groups, network for future jobs, and make friends with other student’s in the same field of study. From this perspective, usage of social media heightened interactions, and built solid foundations for social groups and relationships. Facebook, from a functionalist perspective, could be looked at as an element that contributed to society as a whole. The connections that manifested from social media interactions when Facebook first started could be the reason why some of those college students are functioning successfully in their field now.
Rebecca J.
ReplyDelete1) According to this article, despite the supposed "connectedness" inherent in the use of social media, young adults who use social media most heavily were found to experience higher levels of perceived loneliness or isolation, as compared to their counterparts with lower social media usage. If we take to be true the assumption that a sense of social integration is essential to an individual's mental and emotional well-being, then there are plenty of potential ill effects for the society at large (as well as for the individual) if increasing numbers of people are feeling isolated. When there is a breakdown in one social arena, I imagine that the ramifications will be felt in many other aspects of our society. I think this issue can be understood more deeply if we investigate the following: our concept of society, social integration, and how we assign value to things. We can consider how those concepts could be distorted in an online social environment.
Delete2) I think this issue can best be understood from an interactionist perspective. (I think conflict theory is also peripherally relevant, but I will mention it only briefly later on.)
a) First, we might need to distinguish online "society" from actual society, rather than assume that the social media world is merely a benign expression or reflection of the real physical world. The social media world is really its own kind of society, and does not necessarily conform to real world norms. Social media platforms are prepared and structured for us, thus limiting the range of possible expression and interaction. Individuals are indeed "creating" this social world, but only within extremely narrow, predetermined boundaries. Then, this social world takes on a self-perpetuating life of its own and can start to affect the individuals that comprise it, sometimes for the worse.
b) Second, we can look at the concept of social integration. A sense of social integration via social media can be illusory. The purported aim of social media platforms is to connect people, but as our interactions move increasingly to that sphere (and are increasingly created exclusively for that sphere), real world relationships might be displaced. This could be problematic, possibly giving rise to growing numbers of people who feel "connected" but lack the satisfaction that comes from real relationship. Additionally, it seems that social media interactions are inherently "performative," that is, they are intended to present a particular persona and solicit approval. This sounds like an ultimate form of self-consciousness (and arguably even an antisocial behavior)- more likely to induce anxiety than any sense of contentedness. Also, we should consider the possibility that spending so much time and energy attending to one's own social media image might render a person less able to be genuinely receptive to others (in the same way that it is impossible to listen well if one is talking all the time). A lack of receptivity is bound to make online "relationships" less fulfilling, leading to a feeling of disconnection, contrary to our expectations for platforms that allow us constant access to such vast numbers of people.
c) Lastly, we should think about how social media can almost force a particular mode of assigning value to things. I think our dedication to creating and maintaining an online persona has caused a shift in what we value. Events in our lives (decades ago) used to be considered inherently valuable- an end in and of themselves, enriching and satisfying for that reason. It seems that the prevalence of social media has turned formerly meaningful experiences into tools for self-promotion, imbued with value only once they are documented, shared, and validated by a virtual community. This seems to me to be like trying to edit your life as it happens, which precludes actually living your life.
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(continued from 2c)
DeleteAs a side note (with a conflict theory perspective), I want to mention that a sense of isolation is probably highly useful to the advertisers who fund social media companies. "Free" social media services turn people's data into a product to be sold. Content, connected individuals are not likely to be highly susceptible to ads (which are designed to target insecurities). I'm wondering if this counter-intuitive "loneliness effect" may be a precondition for the continued financial viability of social media companies, if their services are to remain free of charge.
3) I'm not surprised at all by the finding of this study. I speak from the perspective of an outsider, as I do not use social media myself, but the study's findings are consistent with what I might have guessed. I chose this topic because I think about it a lot- I wonder how our society will change in my lifetime. In some regards, it already bears only a slight resemblance to the kind of world I grew up in. I also chose the topic because I happened to be in the middle of a book on the subject: Terms of Service by Jacob Silverman. I didn't consult the book for this assignment, but the topic was certainly fresh in my mind.
This issue is enormously consequential for the field of sociology- if online "socializing" is actually supplanting real world socializing, then we need to look at its effects, address any negative consequences, and figure out how to support people in the right way, so we don't go collectively insane.
Luiza M.
ReplyDelete1. Based on the article “Feeling Lonely? Too much time on social media may be why”, many people are feeling lonely, and are getting depressed because they are not socializing as much as they should, instead they are always focusing on their social media posts, comments, likes forgoing the actual social experience, whether it’s being out there or communicating with friends. The problem as mentioned in the article is that, many people go to social media when they feel lonely, or isolated. This causes them to forego the interaction and experience of a real conversation with a real friend, and instead replaces that with posts likes and virtual comments. This causes negative health issues, whether it’s physical, or mental, and when masses start falling back to such habits, the social quality of life suffers.
Delete2. Karl Marx’s Conflict theory argues that social order is maintained by domination and power, and one would question whether those mass social media’s purpose is to dominate the young mind, and to block creativity.
Yes, Social media is beneficial, and for those of us who use it carefully it could be an asset, but for those who abuse it, it’s a tremendous liability, and health risk.
A Conflict theorist would argue that such social networks were created to keep certain social groups distracted from achieving better and greater things. These are outlets that conquer the young minds, keep it lonely and prohibits it from interacting with others.
3. The reason I chose this topic is because it is very relevant to this day of age, we see more and more people using social media, companies advertise and use social media as means of generating more revenue. However, all this is happening on the expense of adults who are in some cases falling victims of social media. Social Media is creating a new culture, and definitely shifting our social values, and beliefs. In some cases this is good, because an unjust act could gain so much more momentum through social media, but the excessive use of such outlets are harmful, they drive its users to depression and the feeling of loneliness which are destruct our societies and social values.
Laritza F
Delete1-In response to Luiza’s post: I’m definitively agree with this comment and I support and share most of the ideas that she has exposed. It’s a reality that social media is taking over our lives and our interactions with the world around us. What at the first was entertaining, nowadays is becoming so addictive that many people can’t control spending more time in social media than socializing with the outside world. Although human interactions are very important for the well-being of the individuals, our health is above all, and this bad habit is affecting people both physically and mentally. Her point of view specifically about the deterioration of health by the abusive use of social media was what most caught my attention because few people look at it from that perspective; most people become loners due to the lack of interaction in the society and this loneness can have negative repercussion in their health condition. The reason why I chose to comment here is because she made a good analysis about this topic that is so relevant nowadays. I think this is a great topic to dig dipper due to the use of social media not only bring negative effects but also positives, but everything in excess is bad. This topic is relevant in sociology because exposes how people are attached too much to the use of social media that they are becoming so lonely and missing interactions with the real world and people around them. A theory that could apply: “Bridging digital divide” which is basically saying is time to stop.
2-From the interactionist perspective, a sociologist would argue that to grow as a person and for a better development in the society is essential the daily interaction with people and with our environment, because through the face to face conversations people exchange more information and values, exchange culture and disconnect from a stressing day at work, school or any other situation.
Minami Y. assignment#2
Delete1.In response to Luiza’s post, I agree with this comment because as this article and Luiza write, by excessive using social media, people become isolated and feeling lonely. This is a social issue because they depend on social media, and also they become far from face to face communication with other people. The social media might be made for people to use helpfully. For example, text message is much faster than e-mail to communicate with people, and many things can be shared on Facebook with friends although they live far distance. However, many people post pictures exaggeratingly to look better than their actual life in social media. That is why people get tired and that makes them hard time to spend in their real life, so they do not know how to socialize with people in society. In addition, I think the part this person wrote” this causes negative health issues, whether it’s physical, or mental, and when masses start falling back to such habits, the social quality of life suffers” stood out to me because this fact is not widely known by young generation. Therefore, I think young people should know this fact to prevent more serious cause of lack of communication in a modern society. I choose this blog comment because nowadays, everyone uses social media such as Instagram and Snapchat, but people including me are often focus on these and paying no attention in our real society. For me also, I did not know how to get close with friends and became more comfortable to spend my time alone before. However, I stopped excessive using on that and my condition of mental health got better. I do not have too much information what I do not need, and relationships around me have been strong. Therefore, we should interact more with each other.
2.From an interactionalist perspective, based on Mead and Blumer‘s research, even though social media has developed rapidly nowadays, the most basic relationships among people to understand our society is interrelation with people . When people have face to face communication with each other, they are able to have strong bond than when they communicate through social media. Moreover, social media which can interact with several people at the same time has made change people’s life negatively. Since social media dose not define our real values and identities, most people just use it for entertaining purpose. As a sociologist W.I. Thomas emphasized the importance of definitions and meanings in social behavior and its consequences, people are better to have interaction with others. That way, they can build a trusting relationship, define meanings and social behaviors.
Mark. P
ReplyDelete1.This is a social issue, it’s going beyond the community and relating to a society. Reasoning being is because everybody is on social media. Software developers and consumers are on it almost every day. In this day and era that we live in, work, travel, and day to day life is driven off social media. It has become second nature to connect throughout the world instantly with a touch of a few buttons. Associated with family, friends, and long distance relationships. You have people promoting, sponsoring, and just showing off. Social media drives now and the foreseeable future. Feeling lonely due to social media is a society problem, how can we fix it. American Sociologist C. Wright mills suggested “Neither the life of an individual nor the history of society can be understood without understanding both” meaning we need to know why people are feeling lonely and how we can fix it. One of the studies they conducted in the article concludes that the more time you spend on social media, increase your chances of being lonely. How can we spend less time, and live happier lives?
2.As Witt described “Resting on your laurels is as dangerous as resting when you are walking on snow”. Looking through the perspective of an Interactionist, they would respond and question the well-being of so much social media. It’s progression of social media has now become overwhelming on how are society is communicating, it’s at every turn, popping up on are phones, radio, and television. It has come to the point where people no longer feel the need to interact with one another, the more social media increases, the less social we become. It is slowly destroying the face to face social factor in our society.
3.I think this is an excellent topic and a current factor in are life right now. It should be addressed and studied to better are current and next generations to come. People are becoming depressed and unhappy with their lives because of how great other lives look through social media. I commented on this specific topic because I see it happening first hand to friends. I want to be able to understand it, and find a solution to fix it before our society turns into the 2006 movie “Ideocracy” by Mike Judge. This social issue is relevant in sociology because sociologist study patterns of society and figure ways to prevent foreseeable events, good or bad, but social media is turning into a slippery slope to come.
Hailey McNall Blog #2:
DeleteIn response to Mark P's post, I definitely agree that social media is taking over our daily lives. As stated in his post, social ,media is popping up everywhere. Everywhere we walk, even around campus, there are always people on their phones and with their ear buds in. Even when people are with their friends, they are all staring down on their phones, rather than engaging in conversation. I will admit, I have done that too. I think everyone does to an extent, but I never realized how much I did it, until I saw other people as well. I do agree that it can be a serious problem, and must be fixed. However, there is nothing wrong with simply listening to a song, or checking face book or Instagram every once in a while. But when it starts effecting relationships you have with other people, and you would literally rather engage in social media rather than go to fun social events with friends, that is when it starts becoming an issue. I look at it from a functionalist perspective. How can we function as a society, if all we know is how to "talk" to each other through social media? How will we solve problems, or cooperate with each other? we cannot build relationships through the internet, and we cannot grow as a society through the internet either. Yes, social media is good for some stuff, but its becoming to some of us, our whole world.
Joseph Johnson
ReplyDelete1.) President Trumps travel ban will have lasting negative effects on the higher education system. Trumps executive order titled, "Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States", will do more harm than good. Many Americans do not agree with this new policy and have voiced their opinions; because of this it has become a great controversy. Although we all agree that we want to keep the country safe and clear of terrorist attacks, we have to look at the bigger picture and see how it will have negative effects on our society; i.e. our education system, our economy, and our families. We need to learn that it is not ok to stereotype a person because of where they come from, their beliefs, and the color of their skin. Every human being is capable of being a terrorist and causing harm, their race and ethnicities do not determine this. In the United States, there are over one million international students attending our colleges states Westervelt. International students are part of our clubs, peers in our classrooms, and many are our friends. Besides being an important part of our education system, many of these students go on to become doctors, engineers, and teachers in the United States. International students support the higher education system in the United States by paying full price to attend our colleges. If Trumps travel ban remains in place, our colleges will suffer by having less funding, less extracurricular activities, and increased tuition.
2.) Using a functionalist perspective, you can view international students as being a vital part of the higher education system. Losing enrollment from these students will hurt the integrity of the education system that we know. The fact that these students pay higher prices to attend our colleges make them very important because without them our system would change dramatically. For our education system to function properly we need international students to continue being a part of it. While looking at the bigger picture, we can say that education is an important part of society, so if education is negatively affected by the order, all other parts of our society will suffer as well. If we allow Trumps travel ban, we will have less funding for schools, a weakening economy, and a stigma that will stay with our country for decades to come.
3.) I chose this topic because it is very relevant in my life and all the other students at gcc and all other schools. It is almost unreal because we know so many people around us directly affected by the travel ban. Although I am not directly affected by being banned myself, I am directly affected because of the consequences a decision like this will lead to. I believe that it is time for a shift in attitude from the American people and all people on the planet. We need to stop and see that no one is more important than anyone else, and we are all different AND THAT IS OK! It should not matter that other people have different opinions and beliefs. If we could concentrate on what we want and what we believe and allow people to do so for themselves, we can start living together better as neighbors and members of society. I feel that having respect for others is where it starts. The nation feels more divided than it ever has to me, and it is because people feel so entitled to their opinion, that they will fight to the death over someone having a different opinion. This is not ok and we will not advance as a society if we don’t start treating each other with respect, and realizing that we all different, and we all play different important roles in our society.
Raul P.
ReplyDelete1) The Issue presented in this article is the counter-intuitive correlation observed between high activity on social media platforms and perceived social isolation/Generally feeling lonely. This is a social issue due to how accessible social media platforms and the internet is in today’s world. Also, this study only includes adults ranging in age from 19 - 32 years old. Technology as a whole is progressively becoming more affordable and user-friendly which plays a role in children and adolescents now having just as much access to the same social platforms, if not more, due to not being employed. This study just scratches the surface of excessive social media usage and should motivate other researchers to consider recreating this experiment, but with a more generalizable result in mind.
2) From a Functionalist perspective, I feel that with how present social media is in everyone’s lives in today’s world, maybe we should reconsider the general role that it plays within our society. Its function is to assist us in maintaining relationships within our busy lives and schedules, but a dysfunction of it all is distracting us from that busy life in which we are striving to become most efficient in. The correlation between social media usage and feeling lonely could be signs of a Latent dysfunction of Social Media and if so, we should consider researching this further to provide instructions to our citizens in the case that they find themselves feelings these symptoms.
3)This is a precursor to other, potentially more serious, PsychoSocial disorders. Excessive usage of social media may cause feelings of being isolated, but that just leaves us to wonder what do feelings of being isolated lead to next. I chose this topic because as i read through the articles i had Twitter opened in another tab and i can’t leave a class without looking right down at my phone and see all my classmates do exactly the same. This is relevant to the field of sociology because we are a society are currently restructuring the way in which we interact and socialize with one another, when we have children of our own we will teach them online etiquette rather than person to person communication skills?
Angelina D.
Delete1. I do agree with Raul that social media is over-used. What once was a simple way to connect to others turned into a a method of communication that, in my opinion, does not always send a clear message. What stood out the most to me was his mention of this leading to other disorders. Knowing how much I use social media, i wonder if I can add myself to this group of people. This is a great topic for sociology students. This is a form of communication that changes how an individual and society see each other. If we are to understand human behavior, we have to understand the social forces involved in a persons life. For example, a teenager is now seeing themselves as popular because a ton of strangers are “liking” one of their photos. The teen could then be spending more time online because the people surrounding them in real life don’t show the same enthusiasm as those online, thus, alienating themselves from others.
2. I would apply the symbolic interactionist perspective to this. This theory would say that our sense of self is shaped by social interaction. In this case, the social interaction comes through a computer or phone screen, which is different than face-to-face. One can say these communications can be wildly different. A “like” on a photograph can be misunderstood, whereas in face-to-face communication, clarifications can be made. Yes, clarifications can be made online as well, but one misunderstanding can lead to more. The perspective says humans respond to their definition of a situation rather than the objective situation itself. In social media, a simple comment may be left, and the receiver can gather many different meanings. Without the inflection of a voice or body language, different meanings may be reached.