Do you think the Internet is responsible for making people more reclusive? (introvert, anxiety)
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I've noticed that A LARGE amount of people are not as social in real life anymore since the internet has become more prevalent in our modern lives.
I love going out and meeting new people.. even strangers.. and years ago, the majority of people would gladly talk to someone new without much hesitation. Now -- even in business settings -- people tend to avoid eye contact and not want to chit chat as much to others. I can pick up a solid dose of reservation in the general population now.
Do you think the internet is to blame for making our society more reserved as a whole? What can be done to combat this?
The problem is that people on the street are not as interesting as people you can tune into online.
The chance that you are going to run into a fascinating personality on the street is, optimistically, 1000 to 1. Those odds are not good so why even try? Better to be guaranteed to someone who can capture our attention by accessing them on their blog or website (or book.)
The problem is that people on the street are not as interesting as people you can tune into online.
The chance that you are going to run into a fascinating personality on the street is, optimistically, 1000 to 1. Those odds are not good so why even try? Better to be guaranteed to someone who can capture our attention by accessing them on their blog or website (or book.)
Can you expand on this a bit? When you say "on the street" are you saying "in the real world?" Are you saying fascinating folks are mostly shut ins? . I personally find that people online feel like they can move through people like channels on a tv. Flip, flip, flip...no real consequences. Also, it gives people a sense of security, whereas people feel vulnerable in real life. When relating with people in the real world, it takes effort and it makes you accountable and vulnerable. I suppose folks these days don't like the "messiness" that comes with being human. They like quick, easy, and convenient.
Most people don't work like that in real life. Even the most "fascinating" people are probably rather mundane and cumbersome most of the time.
At my company, I noticed that the new employees from the 70's and 80's had an ability to talk and possessed a glib ability to get other people on their sides in an argument and had a grasp of office politics.
Some time in the 90's the new employees changed and became tide to their desks and the computer. They could not grasp the total responsibility they had and almost refused to make decisions "on their feet" in the middle of a discussion that may not be going their way.
We had to let several of these new hires go when after 6 months they still had no ability to adapt.
I wouldn't say the internet has made people more reclusive.
The fact of the matter is that the world has become increasingly digital, and people have chosen to ride that wave.
People have embraced technology because it makes our lives easier. Imagine all the conversations that would not be taking place as we speak if not for the internet. The internet -- and, more specifically, social media -- has erased geographical boundaries and made it possible for us to stay in touch with friends and family at the click of a mouse or push of a smart phone button.
I do think, though, that online communication is a boon to introverts like me who would rather communicate in writing than in person. While you, as an extrovert, might see it as a growing problem, introverts everywhere are thanking their lucky stars.
To another poster's point, people can seem more interesting online than in person. But being behind a computer screen also makes it easy for a person to fabricate virtually everything about himself. Online, anyone can be an author, fortune teller, or real estate magnate. That's why we need to remain especially vigilant when meeting people on dating websites, for example.
Modern society can make people more isolated, meaning, you no longer have to live near a town to live and get by. You can conceivably hole yourself up in your home and never leave if you have the means to do so. So with that being said, some people can severely limit the contact they have with people they do not know in public or somewhere similar. But about 120 years ago, this self-imposed isolation would be near impossible to accomplish unless you lived in a rural family farm and had others taking care of you, as an example. Once the automobile came into widespread use as well as electricity, this changed how people live by mid-20th century or so. Selective isolation is much easier for the average person with modern conveniences, using the internet or not.
The internet itself is just a byproduct of the modern era. Before the widespread use of the internet, other forms of mass media could have easily been "blamed" for making people isolate themselves. Other examples from the past people might blame for this would have been: telephones, TV, etc.
To sum it up, people communicate differently than they did before the internet became really widely used. I think some people have chosen the convenience of keeping to themselves in public and not being approachable because they choose to do so. One thing I often observe is some people cannot take their face away from their smartphones no matter where they are in public.
I think today's social media has given people a reason to spend a good amount of time online. It's something that didn't exist years ago. Even in the days of Myspace some 10 years ago, social media wasn't as widely used and as commonplace as it is today. But I actually think that smartphones are what has made people much less social in public settings. Everywhere I go, I see people with their eyes GLUED to their smartphones. Even people walking around in a mall - they can't walk without looking down at their phones. You didn't see anything like that 5 years ago.
Not really. Some people are just shy or have social anxiety, so they get no comfort or thrill from socializing because it just doesn't come easily to them. Internet where things are anon and people can talk, ask questions, hear about other people and their experiences with something, etc.
The internet just allowed shy or reclusive people to have an outlet. But I doubt it's the whole reason people became reclusive, least 100%.It may be for some. But many others were gonna be reclusive regardless.
If internet wasn't around, they'd be reclusive some other way. Being a home body and playing video game, collecting and reading books alot, etc. A recluse with find something that interests them that they don't need other people for, and do it.
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. I personally find that people online feel like they can move through people like channels on a tv. Flip, flip, flip...no real consequences. Also, it gives people a sense of security, whereas people feel vulnerable in real life. When relating with people in the real world, it takes effort and it makes you accountable and vulnerable. I suppose folks these days don't like the "messiness" that comes with being human. They like quick, easy, and convenient.
