Do you think with the age of the internet that people are becoming asocial?

Question

On the computer we have access to music, movies, entertainment, chat, and even sex if that's what one is into. Do you think that people are becoming less social because of it? Just curious at your thoughts.

Caz, I have noticed a bit of that myself. I sometimes wish things could go back to how they used to be. When people actually talked to and looked at one another. Am I sounding old or what? Lol.

Answer 1

Let me answer that question with recent thoughts I have had about the internet. First of all depression has a known cycle that sadness leads to isolation. Isolation adds to the sadness. Please are very communal beings. Social interactions are very important to remain healthy individuals. Now if you were to happen to be an individual with depression and isolate at home, how are you going to meet those important needs of interacting with others? Bingo! You got it! You will go on the internet. Now the internet is full of people who we all call friends and it is people just like you or me with physical composition just like each other, but it is a false and misleading type of community. We cannot truly interact with others online. A touch or a hug is not something you can do online. Therefore, many people are still missing so much from their lives because they are missing the human contact that all people need. So get out there and talk with real people (at least some of the time. Lol!)

Answer 2

The more advanced computing technology becomes, the more realistic and interactive our online conversations and experiences are. However, the physical absence of other people while we sit behind our computer is a critical element that makes whatever we do over the net not truly social. The internet allows for the substitution of artificial human interaction for actual social experience.

Indeed, I believe that online gaming, chatting, video conferencing, blogs, facebook, myspace and even cellular communications in general have begun to eliminate the need to seek out real human interaction in order to give and receive information about ourselves and others. The implications of this? We could go on talking about that for hours and hours.

Answer 3

That's crossed my mind too... & I think it certainly COULD happen. Maybe the Internet is just too "safe" for some people; they can be safely Entertained- 24/7; have "safe" non-commital relationships; "safe sex" (not quite what the morallists had in mind!), "safe explorations" into dangerous places & ideas... -& so on. But NONE of these "safe" experiences are any more "REAL" than the Reality Shows- we see on TV! Will it make us smarter...- or weaker...-or both..? Time will tell.

Answer 4

I think it really depends on the person...but for the most part, people (especially younger people) these days spend way too much time with their technology and not enough with one another. There's only so much you can do online, even though you supposedly can do it all...but what does that matter when you don't know how to interact with others, when you can't express yourself in person?

Answer 5

I think that the influences you mention facilitate anti-social behaviour. As well, we live in a fast soceity where taking time to do anything not connected to the economy is hard to maintain...like doing social things. People have bills to pay and most of us are stressed out...many people engage in isolation without even knowing it.

Answer 6

I think people are becoming more weird! It is so sad! I will see a group of people standing together and each of them are talking on a cell phone rather than to each other!

Answer 7

Of Course! I mean, a night out or a night on the puter? A night on the puter, if you don't have a life like me. :)

Answer 8

Oh yeah.