Often times, we create “relationships” with people on different forms of social media, before we’ve even met them in person. We interact with countless people on platforms like Instagram, Twitter and Tumblr. From comments, replies, and direct messages, messages are exchanged literally with just the touch of a few buttons.
Because of our generation’s increasing usage of such applications, it’s very possible that you may run into someone on the street whom you’ve never formally met, yet you know so much about them.
In my opinion, face to face interactions are becoming more and more scarce by the day. Instead of speaking to strangers at bus stops and in classrooms prior to the start of classes, we have headphones on, and our noses buried into the LCD screens of our smartphones. Conversations are cut short, and self-esteem is heavily dependent on social media statistics, such as likes, followers, and favorites.
Years ago, self-gratification came from things other than platforms and iPhone applications. Of course, there are people whose happiness is not reliant on “likes”, but there is definitely a vast amount of people who do rely on superficial things as such.
The Internet is a game changer. Seeing the longterm effects of phenomenon like social media on human interaction is going to be fascinating.
— La Araña Discoteca (@KuntaKutiKing) March 20, 2015
Personally, I am a victim of the social media nonsense as well. I’d be lying if I said I am not guilty of rockin’ headphones while waiting for the 344, instead of having casual conversation. I can say my headphone decision is partially due to others wearing headphones as well. If there’s no one to speak to, I might as well bump the new Travis Scott album. Right?
Check out this great read on how human interaction is being destroyed by today’s technology.
Great Insight from Rewire: "Epidemics unfold like mysteries. We don't know where in the world they will emerge." @EthanZ #NHsmc
— Chris Morman (@ChrisMormanTV) January 28, 2016
I related so much to this! You’re totally right about the millennial self-esteem being driven by likes, reblogs and favorites. The classic case is when people remove an Instagram if they get less than 11 likes or a tweet if they feel they’re being ignored.
I enjoy hearing your thoughts and I really couldn’t agree more. Humans have become so obsessed with their phones that it has drastically changed the way we interact with each other. All over the world, people have begun to bury their faces in their smartphones instead of looking up and out at the world and the people who are in front of their faces. They choose the ones that are in their app.
As communicators I don’t think there is really anything that we can change with this issue right now. We are constantly trying to adapt our communications in order to attract more users, and the smartphone is where those users are today. Advertisers and journalists will always be looking for ways to reach more and more people with their message. I believe that it is because of this that our relationships and interactions with each other have been changed so drastically.
I agree with you. I also feel that people are trying to have less and less face to face interactions because they know that they can text, email or inbox a person.