Does The Internet Make People More or Less Sociable?

-- By CharlesRoper - 30 Mar 2016

A great debate exists over the impact the Internet has on society. There is no denying that the Internet has changed the very fabric of society, and has advanced and evolved mankind in unprecedented ways. However, when it comes to the social impacts the Internet has there is great debate over what humanity has become.

This introduction conveys no new idea to the reader. The first and third sentences are repetitions of a flat tautology. It's as though the thinking will come later, in the course of the writing.

But an essay of this sort cannot work that way. You need to present the reader with the result of the thinking at the outset. Then you show how you develop that idea from the materials you came by, and leave the reader at the conclusion with a route onward, in which she can take your idea into new terrain or new implications for herself.

Both Sides of the Coin

The Internet is Allowing People to be More Sociable

There are essentially two fronts to this argument. The first being that although the technology may have changed it is still the same old criticism being flung towards it. While the second prong states not only does the internet allow old relationships to be maintained it also fosters new relationships across the world, which with out the Internet would not be possible on such a large level.

New Technology Same Old Criticism

Keith Hampton in his article NO: Relationships Are Being Enhanced, not Replaced perfectly illustrates this prong: “Yes, some things have changed—but maybe not as much as you might think. Consider ‘what a strange practice it is…that a man should sit down to his breakfast table and, instead of conversing with his wife, and children, hold before his face a sort of screen on which is inscribed a world-wide gossip.’ These words ring as true today as when they were written, in 1909. They were the observations of one of America’s first and most renowned sociologists, Charles Cooley, about how morning delivery of the newspaper was undermining the American family. Thank goodness the scourge of the newsman is in decline.”

Enhanced Relationships Across the World

Not only does the Internet allow society to be conscious of the world around them, it also allows them to interact with the world on an unprecedented level. This interaction is not causing individuals to be less sociable just because it is not in the typical face-to-face method of interaction. Furthermore, this virtual world interacting does not come between individuals in the real world but rather promotes new insights and diversity of thoughts, which were gained in the virtual world, into the real world.

The Internet is Making People Less Sociable

There are essentially two fronts to this argument. The first being that the social interactions one has online is far less meaningful than the real life interactions. While the second prong states that the Internet is getting in the way and distracting users when in real world social interactions.

Far Less Meaningful Social Interactions

Sherry Turkle, a psychologist and cultural analyst who recently did a TED Talk on her studies on how technology is shaping our modern relationships, notes when society is being “social” online they are only getting sips of connection and not real communication. Ms. Turkle further highlights this prong of the argument by noting that society is drawn to the Internet because it can provide the illusion of companionship without the demands of intimacy. However, society confuses postings and online sharing with authentic communication when in reality it is far from the virtues of person-to-person interactions. For instance studies have found that emotions including empathy can only be dispensed in the virtual world one-sixth as effective compared to real world person-to-person interactions.

Sherry's work is indeed the most important social psychology we have. But rather than reading Alone Together or Reclaiming Conversation, you watch a TED talk?

Distractions from Real World Interactions

Since studies have shown that virtual communications can be far less successful in dispensing emotions and connections it is important that real world relationships receive the attention required to maintain sociability. However, the Internet prevents this from occurring; the time and effort society puts into their virtual worlds distracts and limits the time that society has to connect and communicate on a deeper level in the real world. So although the internet may allow individuals to connect with more people across the world; theses connections are far less meaningful in comparison to real world person-to-person relationships.

Illustrations aren't analysis, and TED talks aren't where one looks for substance.

The primary route to improvement here is better framing. "Is the Internet A or B" is always hopeless. Presenting a binary choice among offsetting inaccurate abstractions isn't good thinking for the reader. The question is "How is universal interconnection implemented through the current architecture affecting human sociality?" Then we avoid fatal levels reductionism at the outset, and are allowed to have thoughts more complex than binary choices.

If watching talking heads videos is your preferred mode of research, I suppose this could be considered an attempt at another approach to your question.

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