I support the idea that technology is the major culprit, but it also has helping us in many ways. I would like to keep this.
Technology and Social Isolation
Since the world begun as we know it, mankind has been on the forefront in the invention and discoveries of new and easier methods to do things. Science has advanced through intensive and extensive research carried out by scientists and other scholars. It is easy to say that technology has made our life easier. However, on the other hand, it has also brought with it several disadvantages. This article seeks to explore technology and its influences on our lives, especially on a social perspective.
With the introduction of the telephone and latter the mobile phone, communication between human beings has been made easier and faster. Everyone is reachable regardless of one’s location around the world. However, communication through mobile phones and computers has eroded the true meaning and essence of interactions between human beings. This is because it lacks the physical attributes of conveying messages and it is also hard to communicate emotions over the phone. Additionally, since people can communicate from long distances, there is no longer any need to visit one another occasionally. Strengthening of social ties involves people visiting each other and sharing their life experiences together over a meal. Sadly, nowadays families only come together during burial ceremonies only for everyone to disappear soon after the dead member has been laid to rest.
With the desire to make education available for everyone, most institutions of higher learning have come up with online learning services for people that are too busy to make a physical appearance in class. Schools are some of the institutions where people of different backgrounds come together and learn from each other. They also enable one to learn to relate well with strangers on a social level. However, with online learning, such kind of beneficial school interactions have been eliminated. Students do not meet or know each other and this contributes negatively to social integration. This situation, when interpolated on a national or international level, means that different people in the world will not meet each other and as such we will all act like strangers and yet our education skills should encourage cohesion and sharing of ideas- two aspects of life that are not encouraged by online learning.
Businesses have also invested in state-of-the art technology that enables consumers to shop at the comfort of their home. In the past, people, especially women, would go to the market together. They would interact to and fro the market asking each other about recent life experiences and how their families are faring on. The men would also come together and plan trade expeditions that could last months to far-away lands. However, in our current society, technology has changed our lifestyles in a great way. It is now possible to sell and buy almost anything as long as one has an internet connection. Socially enhancing interactions at the shopping areas like the mall are almost facing extinction as technology introduces virtual shopping centers. For us as human beings, the increasingly diminishing time we spend interacting at the shopping centers is slowly killing our ability to make new friends and grow socially.
Not more than five decades ago, children from the same neighborhood would come together in community play grounds to show off their toys and gaming skills. Additionally, most gaming businesses had a room full of different games that children would play together. However, technology has revolutionalized the gaming industry in that currently, children go to a gaming store, buy games then run back home to their computers to play them. Even worse is the fact that most if not all games, are now available for purchase and download via the internet so the kid will not even have to leave his bedroom to get a good game. When every child in the neighborhood is engrossed in their own games at home, the children no longer have time to play together and they grow up as socially-reserved people. It is also possible to argue that games have not entirely eroded the social fabric since some of them offer online multiplayer capabilities where one can play with another person from a different part of the world. However, this kind of interaction is made up electrical signals and not physical human emotions that a true social interaction setting should involve.
In a traditional setting, dating was a physical social affair. The man would visit the girl and they would maybe take a walk or go for dinner. After sometime, if the man was successful in winning over the girl, he would visit her parents and marriage plans would be carried out whereby the community would come together and celebrate through music and dance festivals. However, technology has brought upon us the age of social networking sites. It is through these online services that most of the current relationships are based. People chat for a while, agree to meet and that’s all. Such kind of online interactions do not encourage social integration since the community will only get wind of the news when the couple already has one child and has eloped far away. Additionally, conversations held through online dating services lack the social appeal or social skills as they are mostly focused on the physical appearance of the person one is interested in. Most of the relationships ending prematurely in the society today through actions such as divorce have an origin that can be traced back to a certain social networking site. This is because these couples hardly know anything about each other apart from the name and face one’s partner. As such, it is hard to make it through a relationship with somebody you just discovered that you are not compatible with just because you met online and know very little about them.
Technology has enabled us to share photos through the internet using devices such as mobile phones and computers. In the past, if one missed a certain family member or relative, he/she would plan a visit to that person’s home and possibly spend a week or month there catching up. However, nowadays, whenever you miss a person of someone tells you that he/she misses you, seeing one another is as simple as exchanging pictures. Such possibilities realized through advancements in technology are good in that they make it possible to share personal life occurrences more vividly and with more people by sending pictures. On the other hand, sharing photos has killed the social spirit of visiting one another to chat and see how one has changed physically over the years. Everybody remembers those times that you would visit relatives after a long time of isolation and they would be surprised at how quickly you have grown- now all they have to do is become your friends on Facebook and they will a detailed progress of your whole life.
The case of social isolation has penetrated even within the family setting. Traditionally the whole family would be united during dinner or to watch a certain program in the television. However with technological advancements these interactions among family members are hampered. With the information relayed on the television available on gadgets such as mobile phones and the computers, the need for the family members to come together and watch the television is diminished. In some cases during dinner each person is engrossed in their gadgets such as mobile phones. With many members of the family basing their attention to their gadgets little concentration is paid to the conversations or social interaction with other family members. This takes away the social aspect of collective family dinner. If children are raised in a family where little or no social interactions takes place between each other, they may eventually end up having social difficulties n future. The mother in most cases is viewed as the member of the family tasked the overall mandate of taking care of the family for example by preparing meals for the family. This aspect fostered mutual respect and the bond between family members and the mother are strengthened. However, with the advancement in technology women too have become active members of the corporate society neglecting their social mandate in the family. Mothers switch from preparing meals for the family and instead they order take-out or in some cases they order precooked food and just mix them together to make up a meal.
Normally if someone had to go to a new place they would have to look for a map or seek directions from people around the area. The instances whereby someone walked over to someone else and sought clarifications on certain directions are examples of forms of social interaction between them. The person who was sought for help also gets a sense of worth which is necessary for the happy well being of most people. However with the advancement in technology people rarely seek help on directions. Various gadgets have applications installed in them that give accurate and simple directions to follow. For example Google maps navigation system gives drivers an easy time navigating through areas they are not very familiar with. The applications also are more reliable since they offer additional up-to date information such as the distance or traffic flow and weather of the area. The area covered by the maps applications is also larger as compared to consulting many people on the way. With navigation and help for directions made easy, people travel to areas they need without consulting other people along the way. Therefore they do not interact socially with other people along the way.
In terms of how people travel technology has made journeys less social. Traditionally most of the people in the world used busses and subways as the main mode of transport. During these journeys people had the chance to interact with other passengers they were travelling with. It is common to hear stories of happily married couples who admit to have met in a bus to work or in a bus station. These social interactions in the modes of transport did not only give rise to stable and happy relationships socially but with a wide range of different people even business opportunities came up. With the advancement of technology owning a car, a yacht or a private jet has become easier than before. Therefore most of the people take up their own personal means of transportation and disregard the use of public means all together. This way people rarely meet in bus stations nor interact with other passengers. With most of the people owning their own vehicles they travel alone and interact only with friends or family who they may be travelling with.
In the traditional times banking services were more of an interaction scene as compared to today. People used to meet and interact in banking halls where the queued in a bid to access the services offered by the bank. These included withdrawal and banking of money. However in the new wake of technological advancement, banking services have become more automated. The long queues in banking halls have been eliminated by the placement of ATM machines in many parts of a certain town which increases the number of areas someone can access banking services. With more joints to access the banking services available, fewer people meet and interact in given areas as compared to previous times. Mobile phone banking has also reduced the need for physical banking services. The various banking tasks such as transfer of funds from one bank account to the other can be done online with the use of a single gadget such as mobile phones or a tablet. Account opening services have also been aided by the use of technology where members interested in certain banking institution can apply or register for an account online at the comfort of their homes. With less people visiting the banking halls social interaction is diminished to a great level.
Automation in the banking services have also been followed by the automation of cash transfer services. In the recent past payments were usually made personally. For example parents handed their children cash or cheques. This was the children had the chance to thank the parents personally and at times non-verbal actions such as a hug were used to appreciate the gift. These instances came a long way in maintaining and strengthening the social bond between the two people. However with money transfer services automated, the need for people to meet personally is reduced. The parents for example may send their children away to a place far from the parents for a long time. This is aided by the parent sending the children money without requiring the parent and children to meet and interact socially.
However technology is not entirely an impediment to the social interaction. In some cases technology fosters social interaction. In the traditional times social interaction was basically at a local level. This means that the world was less connected than it is today and therefore meeting people outside ones’ locality was a rare occurrence. With the invention of social networking sites it is easier for persons to meet people from all over the world online. These online interactions are then transformed into face to face interactions where the two parties decide to meet up-close and converse or share ideas. it is certain that with online services that facilitate communication many people have had the chance to meet and interact with new people that become friends or business partners.
With all the above arguments in mind it is evident that technology has played a major part in social isolation.
References
Crimbchin Pamela (2014) Technology Causes Social Isolation. Retrieved from http://www.theburr.com/archives/Fall_08/story7.html
Jones, C. Technology: Creator or Savior of Social Isolation. Retrieved from http://www.academia.edu/6879244/Technology_Creator_or_Savior_of_Social_Isolation
Miller, M. (2013, Apr 3). Technology obsession creates isolation from society. Retrieved from http://thebluebanner.net/technology-obsession-creates-isolation-from-society/
Social Isolation and New Technology. Pew Research. Retrieved from http://www.pewinternet.org/2009/11/04/social-isolation-and-new-technology-2/
Villareal, C. (2014, Jun 22). #Love: Hacking Social Isolation. Retrieved from http://techcrunch.com/2014/06/22/love-hacking-social-isolation/
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