I sometimes wonder whether being more connected to the world through the internet allows me to make more connections with people, or whether it simply a facade of society. Here are some of my favourite quotes from this article “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely?”
“In a world consumed by ever more novel modes of socializing, we have less and less actual society…We were promised a global village; instead we inhabit the drab cul-de-sacs and endless freeways of a vast suburb of information.”
“We know intuitively that loneliness and being alone are not the same thing. Solitude can be lovely. Crowded parties can be agony. We also know, thanks to a growing body of research on the topic, that loneliness is not a matter of external conditions; it is a psychological state.”
“But it is clear that social interaction matters. Loneliness and being alone are not the same thing, but both are on the rise. We meet fewer people. We gather less. And when we gather, our bonds are less meaningful and less easy. “
“Loneliness is at the American core, a by-product of a long-standing national appetite for independence: The Pilgrims who left Europe willingly abandoned the bonds and strictures of a society that could not accept their right to be different. They did not seek out loneliness, but they accepted it as the price of their autonomy. The cowboys who set off to explore a seemingly endless frontier likewise traded away personal ties in favor of pride and self-respect. The ultimate American icon is the astronaut: Who is more heroic, or more alone? The price of self-determination and self-reliance has often been loneliness. But Americans have always been willing to pay that price. Today, the one common feature in American secular culture is its celebration of the self that breaks away from the constrictions of the family and the state, and, in its greatest expressions, from all limits entirely. “
“Our omnipresent new technologies lure us toward increasingly superficial connections at exactly the same moment that they make avoiding the mess of human interaction easy”
And a great quote from the comments: “It’s all so convenient and all so alienating”
I always think of this beautiful piece when contemplating what it would be like to live in true isolation - Andrew Wyeth "Christina's World"
Of course, technologies like facebook and the internet are wonderful tools that allow us to do so many thing and learn so much about our world, but I feel like it trains society into a very certain image, full of expectation and presentation. It’s difficult to be genuine and share deep thoughts when there’s a word limit, and you can streamline sharing your feelings with the click of a button. Even typing out responses comes nowhere close to the reality of interacting with real people: speaking with them, touching them, laughing with them, and learning to accommodate their needs. Reading articles like this remind me how important it is to actually be with people and not be afraid to make yourself vulnerable in building real relationships. I value every conversation, every accidental run-in, every boisterous party, every quiet moment, and every snuggle, high-five, or hug. More importantly, I recognize the importance of seeking out these interactions and providing them to others.
One Human in the World 