Is Social Media becoming Anti-Social?

We live in a crazy world let me tell ya...

95% of our species comunicates through some sort of "social media"... Whether its through facebook, or twitter, through your computer/laptop or tablet... Or through text/phone calls.

Once upon a time a few years back the world loved this new format of instant comunication... But the world seems to be getting uglier as the age of "social media" progresses.

It might be the fact that people can comunicate anonymously if one chooses to and basically say whatever you want on certian forums. Though even some people who don't hide their identity will boldly insult others without any issues.

Sadly in recent times there have been teenagers who have been bullied online by their classmates who ended up commiting suicide after hitting their breaking point!

I recall one particular story where some of the messages of one of these tragic cases were reviewed... One of the messages read... "why don't you just kill yourself"... I mean bullying has become an entirely new beast! Its not just confined to the school yard as it was when i was growing up... Kids no longer have a safe haven!

I just heard of the "extreme backlash" that the new Miss America recieved through various social media sites just because she is of Indian descent. Yet the young lady is just as american as anyone else.

Even on our beloved ATS... We've always had trolls... Theres always been haters in every catagory... But it seems lately people are more hostile then they were in the past. People are vicious, uncaring and cold.... Sometimes even blatantly and ignorantly rude for no reason other then a disagreement!

Thank the ATS lords we have a great team of mods...

Is it just me?

Or is social media becomming Anti-Social?

Social media on the web is by its very nature Anti-Social. It promotes antisocial behavior. All these people living their lives solely on the internet. Buying and selling on the internet. Talking to friends on the internet. Learning and researching on the internet.


Its being instilled in children from the get go now days. From Facebook to video games. We are teaching our children that its OK to hide in your home and not have human contact. Taking crap to someone wile playing COD is not social interaction.


My niece who is five gives thumbs up and down in day to day conversation instead of explaining her point.
I asked her questions about animals on AP. She gives me a thumbs up or down.


All electronic media in general promoted antisocial behavior an children and adults alike. I see it here with ATS. People that spend way to much time on here instead of the real world.

Turn it off, Unplug it, take out the batteries and go for a walk in the woods. Go play some football or soccer.
Go to the beach or a park. Do something with other people.

reply to post by Akragon


I don't think people are any meaner than they ever were.

I think it's just that the younger generations are less strong mentally and emotionally, I have no idea why this is. But it seems to me that people are loosing their mental toughness and are less able to cope with any type of criticism.

Akragon

I just heard of the "extreme backlash" that the new Miss America recieved through various social media sites just because she is of Indian descent. Yet the young lady is just as american as anyone else.

I think part of this is because all over my local news they were parading her ad Indian American. Would she be receiving this kind of publicity of the news would have just called her plain old american?

After all isn't she just american? Can we even all a person of mixed decent born here anything but american?

Its a racial division thing by pointing out that she is Indian. Its sad that this nation of immigrants can be such bigots. I dont care what color her skin is or what her parents actual race is. The media is spurring ratings by pointing out things like this.

Akragon


Sadly in recent times there have been teenagers who have been bullied online by their classmates who ended up commiting suicide after hitting their breaking point!

This is very sad, but when your life is made miserable by something you can avoid so easily, why not just do that?

De-friend people (why would you have people 'friended' that wer'nt your friends?

Its not that social media is becoming anti-social, its the actual social interaction that is being strangled and its knock on from that is people feel strangely more alone in the presence of others compared to being online with their facebook friends and chatting. Or something like that.

reply to post by Akragon

Is Social Media becoming Anti-Social?

No. And you're stupid for bringing it up.

I jest.

Social media has provided a forum to be mean anonymously. Imagine how social media would be if it posted our photos, names, addresses, telephone numbers.

I think some people use social media as a release of their daily frustrations from work or from the kids or in the case of kids from school..
People are much more capable of typing things on the web that they wouldn't dare say to someone face to face.
It becomes almost an anonymous action and the sad thing is there are consequences for every action including those on the www.
Hence some people have taken their own lives and some have fallen into depression from the negative comments that you see posted as responses to your own comments.
I have only recently started looking at facebook as that is the means my cricket club communicates with each other. No phone calls anymore its all texting and facebook, I am staggered at the inane posts that my friends and family make on facebook, I dont think I will ever understand the point of facebook and dont get me started on twitter.

reply to post by beezzer


ye know rabbits are quick snack for kitty's right....

Social media has provided a forum to be mean anonymously. Imagine how social media would be if it posted our photos, names, addresses, telephone numbers

Kinda like the book O Face?

reply to post by watchitburn


I have noticed this problem too. There is no real hardiness in the emerging generations. I put it down to a lot of things. Lack of guidance, doing away with competativness in schools, political correctness ect...



I don't think the world is getting more antisocial, it has always been a harsh place.

Personally I can't afford to always be out with people. Sometimes it is just easier to communicate after work by email or whatever.

The biggy for me though is that no one in this backwards town cares about the important issues in the world, unless they affect them directly. I can't mention Syria, fracking or abuse in care homes without people rolling their eyes. After one friend asked me what 'reading non-fiction' meant when I was discussing my hobbies. You don't get too much of that on conspiracy forums.

This isn't surprising, anonymity creates assholes. It can also free you of the consequences when the person you insult reacts in the real world to your online interactions. In any case, I've pretty much stopped using Facebook. With all the people and organizations monitoring what you say on there, I just find it hard to put anything on it.

reply to post by Akragon


It's because social media gives people the ILLUSION that they have alot of friends and are connected with them. In reality, I bet only a handful of the people on anyones facebook "friends" list would show up to help them move, which is how IMO you can tell a real friend.

My wife and I went out for chinese the other day. We were sitting there talking and waiting on our food and noticed a young man and woman came and sat in the booth next to us. Both of them had their iphones out and were typing/staring at them and not even talking to each other. Their food came, and still they had a fork in one hand, and the phone in the other. They ate and left and hardly even looked at each other the whole time.

Personally, i would have taken offense if I'm eating with somebody and they can't even put their phone down for 15 minutes.

Not just that, but look at the way people dress nowadays. Its like they have absolutely no pride in themselves or what they look like.

I agree antisocial largely because of the ability to hide in the shadows and say nasty things that would never be said face to face,but that is really only a small part of it..it seems to me society is getting a lot lazier as well why go out into the real world when there's a virtual world at your finger tips.

I am always amazed at the younger generations of today even when they are out "socialising" they will all sit there with their faces buried in their iphones,the only communication is that of what they are watching or playing....

The problem is that you don't need social skills to engage in social media.

The world is an open book for kids nowadays, and they are exposed to social media before they even have a grasp on what society actually is, and how it works. And you will get the anti-social types who seek the anonymity of the net to express their views because they're not acceptable in the real world.

Apps like facebook can be useful, but now it's mostly just a tool that a lot of people use to inflate their ego, sure you can have 600 friends, but you'll only ever talk to ten of them.

What happened to a cup of coffee and a conversation?

I completely agree.
It seems many younger people are completely lacking in face to face social skills. And I agree with the poster that stated it is easier to be cruel to someone, if your anonymous.
And parents seem to think it is ok, to let the tablet "babysit" their child, so it isn't going to get any better.

reply to post by Thecakeisalie

What happened to a cup of coffee and a conversation?

Nothing actually...

that's in the off topic section...

Right over here >>----> A cup of Coffee...

reply to post by Akragon


ATS is the ONLY social media I use. I don't tweet or have MySpace or FaceBook, precisely because messages can and do spin out of control. I've seen that through just email. You also see it as you pointed out in the various comments section of most sites.

I used to like reading the comments sections of articles, but no longer. Usually they just piss me off due to ignorance or trolling. A lot of sites have even taken down their comments section.

But thanks to ATS's site T&C's I can have a conversation/debate with someone who I disagree with and not have it turn into a uber-argument match with foul language. I like that. It keeps me learning.

reply to post by Akragon


Nice a.ss-kissing of the mods buddy. Did you position their ass-cheeks in the best kiss-position, before starting the smootching, or did you just wing it?

johncarter
reply to post by Akragon

 

Nice a.ss-kissing of the mods buddy. Did you position their ass-cheeks in the best kiss-position, before starting the smootching, or did you just wing it?

edit on 16-9-2013 by johncarter because: (no reason given)

I prefer to motorboat the mods honestly...

Tickles just the right place...

chiefsmom

It seems many younger people are completely lacking in face to face social skills.

I saw on BBC news yesterday that Debrett's (famous publishers of British etiquette since the mid 1900's) are now giving social skill's classes for under 30's ( when I say "giving" they start at £1000!) Not sure if the story was posted here.

I think it was on the back of recent research that employers are finding it increasingly difficult to find young prospective employees with good social skills regardless of what academic qualifications they may have achieved.

Maybe good social skills ( and an ability to do the job of course) may become more of an edge than academic qualifications for this younger generation.

As for social media becoming anti social.....I am just as scared of the huddled cliques of mums in the school playground at dropping off or picking up time! This world as always been full of vipers on any platform!

Cancerwarrior
reply to post by Akragon

 

It's because social media gives people the ILLUSION that they have alot of friends and are connected with them. In reality, I bet only a handful of the people on anyones facebook "friends" list would show up to help them move, which is how IMO you can tell a real friend.

I agree, I think facebook need to rename friends to "acquaintances".

I had to take the bus to work recently for a few weeks and had a similar experience to your young dining couple. All faces buried into their phones and headphones in. Not that i minded much because i like to look at the country side when i travel, and it very peaceful and quiet. Sad for them in a way but i guess, there more reason to use your phone on a bus full of strangers vs, being with people you know and ignoring them for your phone.

We need to have some sort of long wooden table or bar if you will, where alcoholic drinks can be served and perhaps a few light entertainment games like pool and such can be played without children, phones/tablets/laptops - i call this crazy new establishment for people to talk and make new friends "placebook" Hmmmm seems familiar, distant, but familiar