Does Social Media Make You Anti-Social?
Muhammad Saleem posts over at 901am about a university in India restricting Internet access because social media apps are making students anti-social.
Indian Institute of Technology, one of India’s elite engineering schools has restricted internet access in its dormitories, citing concerns that social activities like blogging and gaming were not only affecting students’ performance but was making them reclusive and even suicidal.
More from CNN, which says stop surfing and start making friends instead.
Muhammad does have a point in saying that the point of social media is interaction among people online, and that people do tend to interact and even get to personally know people through blogs, social networks and other social applications.
While face-to-face social interactions between students within the dormitory may have decreased, it is unfair and narrow-minded to discount time spent online as not being a social activity.
For example, on 901am alone, I have met Matt, David, and Thord through blogging.
Yes, it is narrow-minded to consider online time as a non-social time. However, considering the extremes, I would say it’s also narrow-minded not to be worried about the negative effects of social media.
For one, only a handful of people do really get to personally socialize as a result of activities online. In my personal experience, most people I know whose work or business involves being online all day and using social media apps tend to stay at their homes or offices all day surfing, emailing and IM’ing. Rarely do they go out and actually meet people.
Okay, same goes with me. I’m usually stuck here talking to people through the keyboard. And I remember my gaming days of old. I would keep to myself in my room for days on end, even skipping classes, meals and sleep. Okay, that’s probably extreme, but that’s just to illustrate how gripping these things can be.
I have actually personally met people who have become my friends and even clients through social media apps. But that’s not always the case with other people. And I do tend to lose track of my old friends who aren’t into getting connected online.
Sometimes I even wonder if I’m still articulate with talking to people face to face or even on the phone.
My point is that when you have tools that are as enjoyable to use as MySpace, Friendster, DIGG, and even your own blog, and tools that make life more convenient, such as email, IM, and even text messaging, you will tend to use them and you will tend to minimize actual personal interaction and other physical activity outside of necessity.
The Indian Institute of Technology is right to be worried about this. However, totally restricting use of social media apps is, indeed, quite a drastic measure. And it doesn’t address the problem at the source, but is rather something that would likely breed contempt among the affected students. Banning social media apps from dorms/hostels won’t make people want to go out and play under the sun! Why not think of more creative solutions, such as setting up social events like parties or concerts?
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Has Blogging Replaced My Need for A Social Life, and Friends. The big and small of the Blog said this on August 24, 2007 11:53 am
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limewire said this on November 28, 2007 9:51 pm