Generation Facebook: Is Social Networking Destroying Society?

I feel blessed to have been born in my particular place in the time/space continuum. I have an unhealthy love for electricity, indoor plumbing and the internet. And as a woman, there are few times in history that I wouldn’t have been treated as chattel or worse – even as states are overturning equal pay legislation and ignorant bigots are proposing trans-vaginal probes, at least I have access to birth control and freedom of speech (they haven’t come for me yet, maybe when I’m famous).

The best part about being a child of the 80s is that I’m not totally B.C. (Before Computers – a.k.a. how do I reach my AOL account through Safari), but I’m not part of the Facebook Generation either. Instant Messenger and other precursors of modern-day hyper-connectivity were available, but not as ubiquitously, and anyway I didn’t have anyone to chat with (I would console myself with the trope that if you’re cool in high school the rest of your life will probably be an epically painful plateau/descent scenario).

IMHO, Facebook is destroying society. Social networking is an oxymoron – it should involve beer and awkward conversation, not a computer screen and an internet connection. Just because I like your status update and you comment on my awesome adventure photos doesn’t mean we’re building a meaningful relationship – and most insidiously, it’s at the cost of not engaging in the real world.

So what’s the harm in being constantly plugged in to our Crackberries? Why not Tweet every single amazingly mundane thing you do in a day? Walking in to a conference last week, I realized that more than half the audience members were on their phones and tablets, emailing and playing Solitaire (how fitting). At the break, when people were supposed to network with other attendees, the same thing happened. We’re creating virtual communities while ignoring the people standing in front of us. But those communities are no more real than the ‘cloud’ (what would happen if google docs crashed? I don’t think I’d have a brain left).

But I remember the Before Time! When people had to look things up in (yuck) Encyclopedias! I was watching a Buffy the Vampire Slayer where she uses a card catalogue and realized – kids today won’t even know what that means! I feel I have a basic understanding for how research, spelling and ingenuity work – I was born before they invented an app for that. But I know that if I ever get an iPhone, Siri will quickly become my spiritual advisor and closest confidante.

What will happen to these poor Children of the Forums – these internet savants that can’t hold down a polite conversation? When you’ve spent your entire life (ish) online, it’s difficult to transition into real-life applications. I wonder whether these nurture spectrum cases will be able to appropriate social skills if and when that becomes necessary, or whether a brain once diluted by facebook is lost forever.

Adults are no better off – constantly ‘available’ online, never truly present in the moment. I work at a digital media center where we teach people technology, but I still wonder – are virtual actions meaningful? Every organization has a facebook page and a twitter account and a LinkedIn group and embedded analytics… what’s the outcome of all this ‘social networking’ and self-aggrandizing marketing? Are we pouring energy into an intangible abyss? It seems like there’s a bunch of animals running around randomly button mashing, much like my approach to playing Mortal Combat – sometimes it works but there’s no real strategy or mammalian brain involved, more like pigeons randomly pecking buttons in hope of rewards.

So what’s the answer? I think I need to get off my computer and go outside to find it, maybe talk to some real people instead of googling Angie’s List for reviews – or maybe I’ll just forget the whole thing and go look at pictures of cats in cute outfits. Seriously, kitty Kermit?

10 thoughts on “Generation Facebook: Is Social Networking Destroying Society?

  1. I went into it disagreeing with your thesis statement, but I totally got it after I read it. Facebook has helped me reconnect with people from my prior lives, but really our relating is pretty shallow since it merely consists of monitering and commenting on status posts. But at least it’s a connection.

    • Thanks for the comment! I think that you and I are both Before Computers enough that we can connect with people on facebook without it subsuming our entire personalities. I worry for the children…

      • How oddly coincidental that you and I both share a last name and that you posted this comment on my birthday. I can also relate to this article, having been born in ’79, but it was really your name (and my birthday lol) that jumped out at me. I haven’t met any other Bradishes in my neck of the woods.

  2. I can’t wait until the day when I can look some kid in the eye and say “Yeah? Well i’m older than the internet!” and watch it blow their mind.

    • But then you’ll be covered in brains, which sounds messy. If you decide that’s not too gross, save it for a really annoying kid – you can only blow minds once, then you’ve create a precedence for a premeditation argument in court.

  3. I have decided if I have job interview again, and they ask me why I am the best candidate for the job, I will simply reply because I am not on face book. How does that make me the best candidate? Glad you asked.

    Rather than spending 6-8 hours a day on face book which without exaggeration is the average amount of time most people spend on it, I choose to spend that time reading books on finance, personal growth, and learning selling techniques and life building skills. While I am not on face book, I am working out at the gym making my mind and body healthy creating a more well rounded employee. I will also spend my nights watching educational documentaries such as the history of Andrew Carnegie and his rise to success. I will also be spending time working on writing out my personal, financial and health goals and plans. Studies show that people who write out all their monthly goals are 95% more likely to achieve them.
    Last and not least, I will be at the office focused on the task at hand and doing the job you are paying me to do. I will not be on face book on my company computer or phone, stealing precious time and essentially stealing money from you company.
    I am glad the weak and insecure are on face book, they make me look so much better and give me a huge advantage in life and in the working world to out perform them all day, every day in every single way shape and form.
    Not only am I the best candidate for the position, I am a better human being and have more meaningful life than all those shallow worthless candidates who have no lives and are addicted to face book .

  4. I agree with your article by in large. In a society that by in large values ‘self’ over others, I see the proliferation of social-networks as an insidious, sinister, dehumanizing force.

  5. At first I’d like to thank you for this great article and tell you that I couldn’t agree more. I was born in ’89, so Generation Y, and I grow up partly on and off computers and the internet. When I think back to my childhood and me and my friends meeting at the playground, playing till it went dark outside, begging the parents to let them stay out a little longer. It was wonderful. I’m studying (business) information systems and it kind of helped to open my eyes and see that our social life and the meaning of real relationships decreases dramatically. But on the other side there hardly is anyone to blame. I mean, go outside and try to meet people. It became more difficult and social media DOES make it a lot easier. It’s both a blessing and a curse.

    I remember when instant messaging was used to make appointments for real meetings and short conversations. By now I would guess 70% of all conversations in our society are held online.

    But who am I to judge, replying to an article on a Internet blog.

    Regards,

    Martin

  6. Facebook is messing people to be long addicted to it and destroy whatever good has every society in this world. I’m from Cyprus which today most of the population here are using Facebook every day… every minute and they don’t stop posting themselves or other stuff! Statistics said that Cyprus is one of the first 5 countries which people uses as many times Facebook. I tried three times to avoid FB but it’s really like a narcotic in your mind because all your friends are In The FB Madness! I really want FB to be destroyed and people grow up! With the simple things! Creating a normal life relationships…. friendships and peace to their mind without jealousy… madness… pressure for why he/she doesn’t talk to me? Why he/she has more likes than me? and e.t.c. The creator of Facebook has too understand that he destroys human life and the fact that he’s a billionaire today… is because people are so stupid using his social machine…. Is not enough for him earning millions of dollars every day? Is not enough for him to ask himself…. ”OK! I have everything which I dream of…. so now it’s time to close FB… forever”?

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