The increasing prevalence of the Internet and
social networking sites has broken down existing geographical barriers, leading
to the condensation of time and space. The Internet has provided an accessible
platform for all kinds of activities, ranging from ibanking to online video
conference call, thus bringing about great ease to our daily lives. We are
heavily reliant on such online tools, so much so that we have subconsciously
isolated ourselves from the real physical world as we invest too much time on the
intangible online world.
The imperative issue at hand regarding the
Internet and social networking sites would be its impacts on youths in today’s
society. The widespread use of social networking platforms among the
adolescents nowadays has led to their unprecedented detachment from social
life. The pervasive use of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and other social media
platforms among the technological savvy teenagers of the 21st century
can inevitably lead to the creation of an apathetic society. The depravation of
social life means that youths nowadays are unable to receive social cues and
interact with people on a face-to-face basis. As such, relevant parties,
especially the family, friends and schools, have to take measures to
reintegrate teenagers into society once again.
According to Sproull and Kiesler (1985) (Bargh
and McKenna, 2004), computed-mediated communication (CMC) is an “impoverished
form of communication”. It will reduce the availability of social cues,
resulting in the production of a “behaviour that is more self-centered and less
socially regulated”. This can have negative impacts on social interaction among
the youths. The over-reliance on the Internet as a tool of communication will
eventually erode youth’s ability to carry out a proper face-to-face
conversation. This makes it even harder for youths to integrate into a society
that thrives on real time interaction. What makes the matter worst is that
“social media sites can make it more difficult for youths to distinguish
between the meaningful relationships they foster in the real world and the
numerous casual relationships formed through social media” (Jung, n.d.). It
gives rise to this false sense of connection that will only encourage the
detachment of youths from the real physical world.
No proper solutions have actually been given
to curb this surging problem. There have however been a lot of suggestions
online, ironically, to inform parents and hopefully youths about the negative
effects of investing too much time on the Internet and social networking sites.
These articles urged parents to “save their children” by engaging them in
activities that will allow them disconnect from the online world (Loh, 2015). It
has been said that many turn to the Internet to release “unpleasant feelings
such as stress, anxiety, loneliness and depression” (“Internet and Computer
Addiction”, n.d.). As such, parents can encourage their children to pick up a
new hobby that will not involve the Internet, or carry out family bonding
exercises like swimming and running because such activities can serve to
distract youths from the contrived online world and also provide an alternative
platform for them to manage their “overwhelming feelings”. Schools on the other
hand can emphasise on the disconnection from the online community by actively
encouraging students to take part in school-based activities such as
representing the school in a sport or performing art, organising field trips
and even conducting camps. Such varieties of programmes will focus on the
engagement of youths, which will then serve to forge a greater interaction
between youths and the society. Youths will also be able to gain more
appreciation towards their surroundings, and hopefully one day they may forgo the
intangible online world.
However, the above given suggestions have long
been used and applied before. Schools do provide activities, camps and field
trips for students, and many parents do value family bonding sessions. Yet,
youths are still spending way too much time on the Internet and social
networking sites. This problem could be largely due to the fact that the
Internet is easily accessible, especially on their mobile phones. In 2012 and
2013, a game, know as the ‘Phone stack game’, became popular in many parts of
the world. The game requires diners to stack their phones in the middle of the
table, and whoever touches their device first will have to foot the bill (Tell,
2013). Such a practice will not only allow youths to momentarily disengage from
the online world, but will also effectively give them the chance to conduct
real time communication with their friends and forge a more substantial
relationship with their peers. In addition to this, there are a few other
applications such as Rescue Time, Minutes Please and Facebook Limiters, which
can serve as an intervention to limit the time spent on social networking sites
(French, 2012). Perhaps, what we need to do most is to set aside solid rules
that will help to reintegrate youths back into the society, instead of just
advising them and the relevant parties on what they should do. In response to
this, it might be more useful if parents and schools make it an imperative for
youths to engage themselves in activities that will improve their overall well
being and interpersonal communication skills, instead of merely giving them a
choice between being involved in the above mentioned activities and ignoring
the opportunities to participate in such activities.
Youths’ lives are heavily reliant on the
Internet as technology advances. It has become almost impossible for people to
isolate themselves from the online world, but fortunately it is still possible
for them to acknowledge the importance of forming tangible relationship with
one another. Such awareness is vital in making sure that youths will not detach
from the society. The creation of such awareness will them be the most useful
solution to curb this impending problem.
(940 words)
References
Bargh, J.A., McKenna, K.Y.A. (2004). The
internet and social life. Annual Review of Psychology,55, 573-590.
French, A. (2012, April 3). Programs
that limit your time on social media. Sheknows.
Retrieved from http://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/955407/programs-that-limit-your-time-on-social-media
Internet and computer addiction. Helpguide.org. Retrieved from http://www.helpguide.org/articles/addiction/internet-and-computer-addiction.htm
Jung, B. (n.d.). The negative effects of
social media on society and individuals. Small Business. Retrieved
from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/negative-effect-social-media-society-individuals-27617.html
Loh, S. (2015, February 27). Spare the
tablet and save the children. The Straits
Times. Retrieved from http://www.straitstimes.com/digital-life/more-digital-life-stories/story/spare-the-tablet-and-save-the-child-20150227
Sproull, L., Kiesler, S. (1985). Reducing
social context cues: electronic mail in organizational communication. Management
Science, 11, 1492-1512.
Tell, C. (2013, September 20). Step away from
the phone! The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/22/fashion/step-away-from-the-phone.html?_r=0
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