It’s almost 2011 and a lot has changed in this short decade. But I think the most prolific changes to our lifestyles have come in the form of technological advances; advances that have made communicating with each other quicker and easier. However, progress often comes at a cost. And in this situation, the cost is personal interaction. No doubt, texting and Facebook have made staying in touch with your social sphere only a finger’s length away, but at this rate, we’ll be breeding socially inept children that lack the ability to make real emotional connections.
If you can remember all the way back to 2000, people were still calling each other when they wanted to talk. But now, it’s almost become a social faux pas to pick up the phone and actually dial somebody. Texting is the new preferred method of communication, at least among younger generations. Even older crowds have superficially tried to embrace the trend. I often get texts from my dad, and they usually make no sense. Dad, if you’re reading this “? r u” can mean “where are you?” or “how are you?” Just type it out, its only two more keystrokes.
But the real menace of texting is what it’s done to the way we communicate. It has caused us to reconsider what constitutes the most socially desirable means of communication. These days, texting your friends has become almost like a passive-aggressive contest. A text communicates just enough of what you want to say, without appearing over-zealous. The mentality is: why try harder than you have to? No one wants to be friends with people that try too hard. This, unfortunately, has become the new norm.
Beyond the texting world lays the final frontier of communication media: social networking. Facebook has perfected what Myspace started in 2003. And with the added Facebook Chat feature, users can instantly chat with their friends on the world’s largest social network. It’s gotten so big that they even made a movie (The Social Network) about the little geniuses behind the master scheme. So why are people obsessed with Facebook? I think the reason is because they’re able to construct their identities as they want others to perceive them. You can pick and choose the photos you’re tagged in, post your favorite music to the news feed, and write about what you’re doing. The new “check-in” feature also makes it possible for you to let everyone know where you are. Also, people just love talking about themselves, and Facebook makes it possible to tell your network almost every single thing about you: interests, activities, favorite music/movies/TV shows, education, work information, etc. It’s scary how much I know about people I’ve barely talked to.
Another thing Facebook has done has made it almost impossible to tell an original story in a face-to-face conversation. When your whole life’s floating around on the interwebs, your friends generally know of any recent developments in your life. When I see my friends, I try not to, but often find myself starting sentences with “I saw on Facebook that…” or “Remember on Facebook Chat you told me…” It’s like every real conversation young people have these days is just a supplement of something happening in cyberspace. Sites like Facebook have empowered the masses to have social lives without ever having to actually socialize.
The definition for the term “socialize” has also evolved over the past decade. To socialize used to mean you would go out to meet and talk to people. But with the development of different technologies, the definition has also evolved. Socializing with people these days includes everything from face-to-face interaction to the ultimate form of impersonal communication: the tweet.
I will, however, concede that these technological advances do have upsides. Texting is quick and easy. The textor doesn’t have to worry about the textee being in class or at work, where he/she wouldn’t be able to answer the phone. Also, a text skips the conversational foreplay and gets straight to the point – I can respect that. Facebook makes our lives easier too. It’s like having an email center, instant messaging service, event-planner, and birthday rememberer all in one package. It also gives people who are shy or socially awkward a chance at forming (somewhat) real connections with other people. Ideally, Facebook should not replace your social sphere, but supplement it in a beneficial way.
The problem arises when these media are over-used – which is especially common in younger generations. The growing concern is that the endless distractions of texting, Facebook, and other media are diverting kids away from their studies. When I was a kid, the only options I had when I got home were TV and homework. It’s pretty easy to regulate what your children are doing when those are their only choices. However, today’s parents have to worry about kids wasting time not doing their homework by watching television, constantly texting each other, and surfing the web. And since a lot of their work is done on the computer these days, making sure they’re actually doing anything has never been harder. The endless distractions on the internet cause these kids to lose focus on their work as they try to juggle their social lives and schoolwork every day. Some people call this multitasking, I call it ADHD.
What we really need to find is that delicate balance between verbal and nonverbal communication. Tomorrow’s workplace needs savvy employees that are good communicators on both a technological and a personal level. The most successful Gen Y-ers will be the ones that can effectively strike this balance.
No matter the drawbacks, technology is not slowing down anytime soon. But I think we should take a lesson from Hollywood’s new 3-D craze and promote 3-D communication, in the form of more face-to-face time – before 3-D Facebook comes around and no one goes outside anymore. So get away from that screen and go meet someone for coffee.
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