Written
by Blessed Adjekpagbon
 |
Marianne Van der Wel
|
The
advent of social media as a result of Internet technology has been affecting
the way people think and do things individually and structurally in different
families, organizations, societies and cultures over the years.
Various
folks have different stories to tell about how digital technology especially
about facebook- arguably the most popular social media on the internet has
revolutionized global interactions among its users for the immediate past years
it came into existence.
Speaking
with Bulkybon News about how social media/Internet technology (Digital
media) has affected her life in various ways, Marianne Van der Wel, a retired
lecturer who specializes in Natural Sciences and
Mathematics at Mc Master University,
Canada, said “In 1991 or 1992 or 1993, when I saw a web site for the first time
and the internet was becoming a world standard for computer networks, I said to
myself ‘Pay attention, Marianne. If humanity is to survive, this tool
will play a vital role!’
“During
the latter half of the last decade, social media has risen to the forefront. I
said the same thing to myself and forced myself to look into these phenomena. I
started with twitter but have since moved over to facebook. Instagram has not
yet peaked my interest nor the other 300 or so social media apps out there.
“Life
on facebook, more or less, parallels life offline. Hence I find facebook useful
to study human behaviour and try to understand it (the good, the bad and the in
between).
“I
am interested in the question: ‘Is it possible to build a positive relation
using only words- (which make up about 7 per cent of all human communication)?’
I do not yet have a conclusive answer for this one.
“I
find that using only words, I get more acceptance as a white person by blacks
than I do in real life. I find this an interesting observation but I certainly
have made no definitive conclusions as to whether this is accurate or not.
“Since
at least a few people see what I write and I get to see what others write (bypassing
borders, the media and governments), my time is more productive on facebook
than expressing my opinion to the media, letters to my politicians and the
like.
“I
am learning to write (though writing is something I hate doing). Sometimes I
have an opportunity to show empathy or encourage another person whose path I
would not have been able to cross otherwise
“Through
facebook especially, and other websites, I learn information and facts from
others, I would not have learned anywhere else.
“I
did try to use facebook to promote ‘A Tiny Shift In Connecting Schools’
programme (which is now shut down); but other than that, I am more interested
in encouraging others to think for themselves than follow how I think. I will
make statements for others to consider, doing my best to focus on behaviour
rather than the person. While agreement generally feels better than
disagreement, I do learn more when others disagree.”
Nonetheless,
according to “Dimensions of leisure for Life” by Human Kinetics, with the
proliferation of technologies that are able to overcome the obstacles of time
and space (e.g., airplanes, cars, the Internet), one would think that these
tools would be used to gain an understanding of other cultures, meet people all
over the world, maintain and strengthen familial relationships, communicate
effectively with others, and help people to become more socially adept.
Commenting
on the negative effects of technology, Kinetics posits that “Some technological
advances cause people to be distracted, overly stressed, and increasingly
isolated. Many people are involved in an abundant number of relationships
through technology, but sometimes the quantity of these associations leaves
people feeling qualitatively empty. Obviously, technology has had a profound
impact on what it means to be social. “Society is likely on the cusp of a
social revolution, during which it will be important to redefine socially
appropriate and acceptable behaviors (with regard to digital or virtual
interaction). We are at a point in history where very few people have given
critical thought to new social realities created by technology and what those
realities mean for the individual and society.
“A
few social technologies influence leisure in terms of virtual communities,
social networking sites, and today’s communication tools.
“The
use of social networking sites has both positive and negative consequences. It
is amazing how someone can find a long-lost friend through a social networking
site, enabling them to reconnect. In a society where people have become quite
mobile and family and friends are often geographically separated, it is
convenient to keep in touch through technology. However, one need not look far
to find problems associated with social networking sites. There is a lively
debate about whether Internet addictions are real.
“To
me it appears to be a real problem (perception is often reality in a social
context) with which people have to grapple. Some assert that these Web sites
contributed to cheating on significant others, often leading to divorce.
“People have been fired from their jobs or put under pressure because they use
these sites at work or because something is posted on a site that undermined
the person’s professional standing. Although divorce and loss of employment are
serious issues, perhaps they are not as common as other problems that have the
potential to stem from social networking sites. Narcissism—excessive interest
in one’s appearance and in oneself—is sometimes manifested on social networking
sites. These Web sites have been found to be an avenue for people to display
their narcissistic traits online (Buffardi & Campbell, 2008).
“I
often wonder whether people use these sites to display their popularity to the
world rather than use them as a vehicle to develop meaningful relationships.
Creating meaningful relationships is often about sharing our lives with others,
and technology can allow us to do so through photos, videos, text, and music.
In conducting research for my doctoral dissertation, I looked at how eight
senior citizens used technology and how it affected their lives.
“Someone
might feel like an outcast in her own community or family but might find
someone online with similar hobbies, pursuits, and interests. Consider someone
who enjoys photography as a serious leisure pursuit. This person would be able
to share that passion with people all over the world by using the Internet and
its powerful tools (e-mail, video chat, discussion boards, online video, family
Web sites). However, simply sharing common interests and pursuits with people
through technology does not necessarily have a positive impact on social skills
and social development.”
Kinetics
also point out that Television and Social Development Television is another technology
that has mixed reviews with regard to social skills and social lives. Some
researchers suggest that spending a limited amount of time watching wholesome
programs can strengthen families and friendships. Others believe that
television contributes to the downfall of social values in this country. It
does seem that many people spend less time with others in their community than
they do with the people they watch daily on television. Television tends to be
a passive medium, which requires little skill and thought on our part (although
some programming bucks this trend). Therefore, television provides little
opportunity for meaningful interaction while watching. Watchers simply sit
there and ingest what is presented to them without having to respond or react
to another person. Obviously this can have serious effects on people’s social
skills because viewers are not practicing how to relate to and deal with other
people. Exposure to what is viewed on television can have some other serious effects
on people’s social lives. For example, exposure to television shows with sexual
content may increase the chance of teen pregnancy (Chandra et al., 2008).
Furthermore, when some people see violence, sex, and all manner of
lasciviousness on television, they may be prone to mimic the behavior and think
that it is acceptable. Were everyone to copy the social behaviors portrayed on
television, our society would lack morals, and many levels of individuals’
lives would be destroyed. It is apparent that technology has the potential to
harm or enhance your social skills and social life. The key is to analyze how technology
affects you socially. Do technologies help you build positive, meaningful
relationships, or do technologies hinder this process? It is one of the
critical questions regarding technology and social development.
From
the forgoing, it can be concluded that technology has great effects on human
behavior both positively and negatively. What is left for the consumers of
technological devices is to be able to sift good characters from what they are
exposed to from different cultural settings as they navigate the great time
consuming and emerging sapping waters of modern technologies worldwide.
END
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