Today, people are more connected to each other than ever. With the rise of social media, through applications such as Facebook, Twitter, and even blogs, social networks have expanded the reach of information for both the personal user as well as businesses. While many believe this to be a step forward in the evolution of human interaction, social media has only been destructive to the basic animal instinct of creating and sustaining relationships.
Social media has made the human race less sociable and thus has created an inevitable trend of decreased interactions with each other. It is agreeable to admit that with social media, we have been brought together as a race by digitalizing the degrees of separation between people. Individuals, whom were once strangers, are just a few clicks away to being acquaintances. More and more interactions between people come in the form of email, wall posts, tweets, and even pokes. In a recent article that scrutinized the lack of real social interactions, it was reported that the average time spent socializing as part of non-work leisure time by U.S. adults ages 18-64 has fallen more than half over the last five decades. Socializing has gone from 85 minutes per day in 1965 to 57 minutes in 1985, 45 minutes in 2005, and 42 minutes per day in 2009.
As our population continues to grow and innovate, social media will remain a strong component of social interactions between people. However, there has to be some concern for the potential degradation of our social structures. With less “face” time between people, technology will play a bigger role in our everyday lives. Advancement in such technology is a good thing, but not to the point where it takes over for our own lives. With social media’s simultaneous advancement into the future, we must respect the restrictions that social media presents and substitute that with our basic instincts of socializing.
Some may find this to be utterly ridiculous, while others will see this as a call to action, however social media could be the beginning to an even bigger end…With the human race diminished to anti-social beings, sitting at their computers to interact and conduct business, technology has advanced to do all our basic needs. These artificial intelligent humanoids are now left to walk in our streets and as a result a new world order has been created. Many believe that social media will peak in the year 2012. This is convenient, as some believe that this year corresponds to the end of the world as some ancient civilizations have predicted. Social media is this end. With people interacting less with each other, there will be no need for relationships and therefore, no need for people.
So before you go and write an email to your friend, or write on their wall, think about this. When all is said and done, have you enriched your life with friends and family, or is your real best friend the computer in front of you? Look beyond social media and its simplicities that substitute human interaction and go build relationships. If we start today, we might still have a tomorrow.
Article Source: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/?fa=Articles.showArticle&art_aid=139968
Technology is a huge part of our lives and it is only gaining speed. If we were to interact with each other like we did in the 1960’s, we would not be able to communicate with each other as often as we do now. Social networking enables people to comment/tell their friends stories as soon as something happens rather than waiting hours later. The sooner you tell a story, the more fresh it is and the more accurate.
ReplyDeleteIn my blog, I have mentioned how social media is a good step for marketers to use in order to market their products and companies to people. This enables companies to use a greater amount of resources and cheaper routes to gain more customers and followers. However, it is scary how often people use social networking to communicate with each other, even over the smallest details. As an individual, we need to cut back on social media when communicating with friends and family that we see on a regular basis. This is where the line should be drawn and where there is great concern over actual ‘face-time’ with friends and family.
I have to agree that the ever expanding use of social media does not sit well with me either. In fact, I'll go as far as saying that I've never even been on Twitter before or know what the website looks like (hard to believe right!). BUT, I would never admit that in an interview for any type of marketing position! Because as much as some of us hate to admit it, a company can no longer be successful and competitive in today's market without using social media as part of it's marketing strategy.
ReplyDeleteSocial media has its negative impacts, some of which I discuss in my blog , not including the valid point that you bring up about how social media is adversely affecting people's social and relationship building skills as well. Nonetheless, the benefits of social media outweigh the costs (for businesses at least). So whether we like it or not, if we plan on starting our own small businesses, we better plan on using social media websites if we want to be successful.
I agree that social media has led to people interacting less with each other and it has substituted human interactions and relationships. However, there are many advantages and benefits to social media that outweighs the costs. Companies can attract new customers by marketing their products and services and also satisfy their existing customers. Social media is a way to gain customer loyalty in a cost effective manner. In fact, businesses cannot succeed and be competitive without using social media. Therefore, ignoring social media CRM is not an option in this day and age because by doing so, companies will lose customers and sales to competitors that are already effectively using social media to maintain customer relationships. Take a look at my blog for more information on the benefits and problems associated with using social media.
ReplyDeleteKevin,
ReplyDeleteYou're almost making me feel guilty for communicating this response via a blog comment rather than coming over and knocking on your door. Your point is well-taken and perhaps the ironic marketing twist is that using social media to *promote* rather than *supplant* face-to-face interaction will be a profitable market niche.
Websites like meetup.com that create a forum to organize local face-to-face get-togethers and recruit real participants have definitely found success in that arena.
So perhaps there's still hope...
Great post!
Anthony
http://e-marketingforsensiblefolk.blogspot.com
Kevin,
ReplyDeleteYou make a great observation and point as to where we have come to in regards to socialization. We live today in a society that takes less and less time everyday to communicate face to face with one another. Long gone are the days were people would talk to talk and it would be a very pleasurable experience. Today we are all guilty of rushing through conversations while looking at our watches or blackberry agenda.
We live today in a society where we get our cheeseburgers in about 3 minutes while rushing through drive through windows, we want everything right now and we have found out how convenient it is to communicate with people via instant messaging. But wait, that's still not fast enough and we've come to a point were we make sentences with LOL, OMG, LOLZ, PWNED, ROFL, BRB and so many more.
What happened to a good old conversation just sitting down and talking without bothering to look at the time or our gadgets? Your blog hit the nail on the head.
Salomon