Wednesday, December 8, 2010

500 Million Friends, One Self-Alienated Generation

        
          Alexander Graham Bell, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg. What do all of these men have in common? They all had a profound impact on how citizens of the world interact with one another. But while there are numerous benefits arising from the invention of the telephone as well as the technological advances made by Microsoft software, I’m starting to believe that the social costs associated with the creation of Facebook will outweigh the benefits of increased electronic communication. This isn’t a realization that I’ve always had— I too am an avid Facebook user. In 2007 I became one of the 500 million members that currently use the site, and I’ve spent countless hours on it since then. It wasn’t until I saw the movie The Social Network that I began to think about some of the negative effects that can happen from overusing Facebook.
            Zuckerberg is portrayed in the film as a typical “revenge of the nerds” character. With one friend to his name (who he eventually betrays), Zuckerberg creates a virtual world where friendships are available at your fingertips. However, even with the title as the youngest billionaire on the planet, Zuckerberg is as isolated today as he was during his years as a Harvard student. Sure, this could be his personality type—some people are programmed to be loners. But I think it is a direct result of substituting true friendships with virtual ones. I am not arguing that technology or social media sites will lead to the downfall of our society; however, I do believe that the use of social media sites like Facebook will redefine what friendship means, and will change how people communicate effectively.
            As cheesy as it sounds, deep friendships affect our happiness and well-being. Not only do they nurture the soul, but they provide positive health benefits. According to research published in the Journal of Health & Social Behavior:

A sense of being loved, cared for and listened to fosters a sense of meaning and purpose and reduces stress-induced wear and tear on the body, lowering the heart rate, blood pressure and stress hormones. Supportive friendships also are linked in research to increased longevity and may actually change the way you experience stressful events, buffering the negative mental effects.”

However, these benefits do not come from posting a comment on a friend’s Facebook page; they arise only with face-to-face contact with other individuals. While Facebook can serve as a powerful tool to stay connected with friends who live afar, members have allowed the site to replace good, old-fashioned companionship with distant, fleeting gratification. According to Roger Scruton, “It is arguable that the more people satisfy their need for companionship through relationships carried out on the screen, the less will they develop friendships of that other kind, the kind that offers help and comfort in the real trials of human life.”
Even ancient Greek philosophers, who defined the laws and principles of science and government, understood the importance of friendships. Aristotle studied the formation of relationships, and broke down friendships into three types: friendship based on utility, pleasure, and virtue. Friendships based on utility can be equated to Facebook friendships because “this type of friendship is broken when, no matter how small, some part of the relationship changes and it is no longer beneficial to one or both of the individuals in the friendship.” While these types of relationships are not necessarily detrimental, the highest form of friendship is based on virtue. A relationship founded on virtue enhances character and “is only felt among the good, between few amounts of people [sic], is resistant to slander and is long lasting.” These friendships cannot be forged on social networking websites—they are nurtured through time and attention, and have the power to influence the health and happiness of the individuals involved.
Not only does Aristotle categorize companionship into 3 categories, but he also makes powerful assertions about the importance of virtuous friendships in society. In his book Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle states that these make up the bond that holds cities together and should therefore supersede justice. Unfortunately, Facebook wasn’t around during the time of Aristotle so he wasn’t able to provide insight on its effects. But based on his teachings, friendships based on utility are replacing friendships fueled by virtue, and this trend will only increase as our dependency on social networking sites like Facebook continues to grow.
I fear Facebook will impact our generation far greater than any spectators predict. I think Generation Y and future generations will find themselves in a world where friendships are nothing more than a distraction—and other bloggers share this fear. William Deresiewicz, one of the frequent bloggers on The Chronicle, summarizes this setiment in one statement: “It seems inevitable that once we decided to become friends with everyone, we would forget how to be friends with anyone.”
However, advocates for Facebook claim that the social media site helps build friendships, instead of tearing them down. Rather than substituting Facebook for human contact, it serves as a powerful tool to supplement relationships that ultimately makes all friendships stronger, according to one blogger. A strong network is crucial in order to be successful in the world today, so Facebook is a cheap and effective tool to establish and maintain connections. While there are advantages and disadvantages in using Facebook as a means to upkeep friendships, there are other implications that must be considered when looking at how Facebook will affect our generation.
Facebook will drastically impact the workplace as well as education. A study conducted by The National Association of Colleges and Employers ranked communication skills as the most important type of skill that employers look for in potential candidates, beating out analytical skills and technical skills. However, if people continue to substitute Facebook for personal contact, the communication gap that exists in the workplace will only continue to widen. The future of business may be one that exists only online—businesses have already begun using sites like Facebook and Twitter to promote themselves. It may only be a matter of time before deals are created and signed in the virtual world.
A New York Times article also discussed how education will be impacted by our reliance on everything digital. Teachers have found it difficult to sustain students’ attention in the classroom because of the instant gratification that Facebook provides. In response to this article, blogger Andrew Sullivan extracted a quotation by a student that sums up the difficulty facing education: “I know I can read a book, but then I’m up and checking Facebook. Facebook is amazing because it feels like you’re doing something and you’re not doing anything. It’s the absence of doing something, but you feel gratified anyway”.
            Friendships may be the least of our worries when looking at how Facebook will change the world. Will students become so wrapped up in this virtual reality that they tune out educators in the classroom because they aren’t as interesting? Are the days of reading books and engaging in activities that stimulate the mind a thing of the past? This hype surrounding Facebook is the same reaction that people had with the invention of the television—many believed it would destroy communities and create a generation of children unable to communicate (when in reality, it did not). But can we say the same for Facebook? Only time will reveal the effects of social networks on people; but I don’t think the benefits of using Facebook as a means to maintain relationships will outweigh the social costs. 

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