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. 

USC: On-board for College Admission Changes

Follow-up article to my post about college admissions.

Calling All Interns

     I commend USC faculty for encouraging students to take advantage of internships throughout their time at USC. According to an article at CNN, internships may be the new entry-level job. Since the economy is still slowly recovering, it is important for students to utilize internships to keep themselves active in the job market. When hiring picks up in 2011, students with internship experience will be hot commodities.
     I know from personal experience that unpaid internships aren't fun. There is nothing more demoralizing than working a nine hour day and realizing that you actually SPENT money working because you had to eat and pay for gas to commute to the job. But I also believe that my unpaid internship experience landed me the full-time offer that I now get to enjoy.
     So moral of the story is: Work hard now so you can hardly work later!

The Ethics of Bribery

           During my freshmen year of college, I took a trip with the Marshall School of Business to Dublin to learn about the Irish economy. During the early 2000s, Ireland was categorized as a tiger economy, which is an economy that experiences brief but rapid growth. Since Ireland offers low corporate tax rates, companies like Google and IBM placed European headquarters in the country, and made Ireland a hub for big business. For a time, Ireland enjoyed this prosperity—but it soon came to a halt when the collapse of the U.S. economy triggered a worldwide domino effect. Now, Ireland is unable to pay off debt, and may need to be bailed out by other affluent countries like Germany.

While the Irish government is trying to find ways to decrease the deficit, one startling proposal made by a blogger recommends that Irish officials bribe credit-rating agencies to inflate credit scores in order to keep interest costs on debt payments low. There are deficiencies in this proposal, however; it assumes that a higher credit score will solve all of Ireland’s financial problems. There is no guarantee that bribing a credit agency will bring about the change necessary to get Ireland out of debt. This argument also may not be feasible since bribery is an illegal act, but let’s assume that such a proposal is a viable option for Ireland. In terms of ethics, there are pros and cons.

When doing ethical analysis, there are four models that serve as a framework to structure an argument: utilitarianism in terms of actions, utilitarianism in terms of rules, rights & duties, and virtue. Utilitarianism is the process of weighing benefits and harms, and choosing the option that offers the most benefits for the greatest number of people. Rule-utilitarian thought focuses on benefits and harms created by rules, while act-utilitarian thought calculates the consequences of actions themselves. The rights & duties model chooses the course that respects what others are entitled to (rights) and obligations a stakeholders has to fulfill them (duties). The last model, virtue, chooses the option that enforces good habits of character for yourself and others. Each model can be applied when evaluating whether bribery is ethical or not.

            In terms of benefits and harms to the Irish economy, the benefits of bribing credit-rating agencies would have a significant impact. Government would be able to get a handle on its interest payments and pay off debt quicker, without the financial support of other countries. Such benefits would likely reduce unemployment and drastically increase the quality of life for Irish citizens.  For this argument, harms are minimal—there is no harm that comes to the credit-rating agencies if no one finds out of such bribery. If discovered, the reputation of the agency may be diminished, but that certainly does not outweigh the benefits associated with helping the 4.5 million citizens of Ireland.

            Another argument in favor of bribery has to do with duties. The Irish government has an obligation to do what it takes to ensure the health and happiness of its citizens. While Ireland enjoyed prosperity for a short time in the early 2000s, the government may have made poor choices that led to Ireland’s current financial position. One blogger claims the reason for the crisis stems from government’s decision to guarantee all bank liabilities, a promise that Ireland could not keep. Doesn’t the government then, have a duty to citizens to use whatever means are available to restore the economy to a normal state? If the government has the power to bribe credit-rating agencies to help stimulate the economy, it should fulfill its promise of serving in the best interests of citizens.

            While there are ethical arguments in favor of bribery, there are also arguments not in favor. Although the action of the bribery may bring more benefits than harms to the people of Ireland in this particular situation, the rule that forbids bribery brings more benefits than harms in all situations. There are countless historical examples of individuals using bribery as a means to gain power or money that is used for evil; in fact, I argue that there are more examples of bribery used for immorality rather than for good. Because of the benefits that arise from outlawing bribery, it would be unethical for the Irish government to use such tactics, even if it greatly benefited its citizens.

            Although the blogger notes that credit-rating agencies are already involved with bribery, it would not be ethical to allow it in this case because it undermines the functional purpose of a credit-rating system. These agencies are created so that investors have a resource to be able to assess the risk with investing in bond markets. By using bribes to enhance credit scores, these scores become biased and are no longer a useful tool for potential investors. There is no way to ethically justify bribery in a credit-rating system because it goes against the very purpose of why such a system exists in an economy.

            The most powerful argument against bribery is related to the virtue model. Bribery is a form of corruption that alters a behavior or outcome based on a reward. Rather than encouraging good habits of character, such as hard work and judiciousness, the action teaches individuals to cheat in order to get ahead. By using such a tactic to pay off debt, the Irish government is justifying to citizens that the ends justify the means. Such examples will likely lead to corrupt behavior within the Irish economy, because the government did not fulfill its duty of being a moral representation of the country it administers. If the government engages in bribery, what would stop business owners, politicians, lobbyists, and other stakeholders from doing the same? This would open Pandora’s Box.

            Based on my ethical analysis, I believe Daria’s proposal is unethical based on the principles of rule-utilitarian thought and virtue. While there are benefits for Ireland that arise from stimulating the economy, that harms that occur from distorting the credit-rating system as well as encouraging citizens to engage in immoral behavior outweigh such benefits. It may have to rely on neighboring countries to pay off debt, but bribing credit-rating agencies is certainly not the ethical means to solve Ireland’s problems.

            

Here Comes The Sun

      After what seems like a decade of economic destitution, it appears there is a light at the end of the tunnel. There are several reasons why 2011 will be a good year for the US:

1. Companies are hiring

Google isn't the only large corporation that is hiring thousands of new employees in 2011. According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, productivity growth is slowing down--which means companies will have to hire more employees in the future.

2. Small companies are ready to invest

With credit conditions improving, banks will be more willing to lend to smaller companies in 2011.

3. Consumers have renewed their love of....consuming.

If Black Friday this year was any indication, consumers are doing what they do best.

4. Economic indicators are looking good (except for housing).

So cheers to a prosperous 2011!

Pedagogy

     Last month I blogged about the emerging trend of higher education institutions measuring value as a means to attract students. Now, states are being held accountable as well.
    By using a balanced scorecard approach, states are scored in a number of areas related to higher education--economic and community development, funding, and transparency & markets to name a few. A state can receive one of three scores in each category: needs improvement, in progress, or best practice. The states who received great scorecards were California, Texas, Georgia, Florida, and a few others. The states with the poorest scores were Michigan, South Carolina, Illinois, and many other mid-western states.
    This is a great step in the right direction for higher education. Now that institutions and state governments are being held accountable for their role in educating society, I think the quality and value of education will only get better from this point.

2012: Team Romney

     For the first time since Ronald Reagan was elected President in 1980, there is not a clear Republican front-runner for the upcoming Presidential elections in 2012. While Sarah Palin's name continues to be thrown around, I think most level-headed conservatives would abandon their political ties if she is picked to represent  the GOP in 2012.
     Personally, I am team Mitt Romney all the way (and I was in 2008 too!). The problem is, most people have no CLUE who Mitt Romney is. Romney was the former Governor of Massachusetts, which in case you aren't aware, is a very BLUE state. The fact that a conservative could be elected as Governor in one of the most liberal states in the country is a true testament to his ability to cross party lines to attract voters. He is extremely business-savvy, which is important considering the US has been unable to recover from our current financial crisis. However, his name-recognition problem paired with his religious beliefs that detract some voters (he is Mormon) may keep him from getting the support from the GOP.
     I am Team Romney all the way and I want to get his name out there!