Social Networking Addiction

In the past decade we have seen social networking's popularity sky rocket like Eli Manning's number of interceptions this season - sorry, I'm a Cowboys fan. When I was still in school, I remember MySpace being the big thing. Facebook, which I believe began as a college-only networking media, decided to open up to everybody and really took off. It seems the latest big thing has become Twitter, which is unlike both MySpace and Facebook.

With the increased popularity in social networking there have been numerous studies and discussions regarding social networking and its effects it has on individuals and a society as a whole, both positive and negative. As Dr. Michael Bengtson, professor and chief of child adolescent psychiatry at the University of South Florida's Morsani College of Medicine said, “Addiction doesn't have to involve a substance or a drug. It can be a behavioral addiction, like gambling. That's where social media seems to fit in” (Maher).

One might simply ask, “What is wrong with that?” While social networking addiction may not be the most destructive addiction out there (drugs, alcohol, gambling, etc...), it certainly can have plenty of negative effects on your everyday life that may turn into long term issues. I personally am affected by social networking negatively but not because I am addicted, rather, my girlfriend. She is the one out to eat typing furiously, the one that missed that part of the movie because was she browsing Pinterest. I have been losing interest in trying to do things together because I know while she may physically be there, mentally she is in her own social media world. It fascinates me how oblivious she is of her addiction as her answer is always “I was just checking this real quick.” 

 

Enough of my personal struggles with indirect social networking addiction. There are numerous other problems that may stem from being addicted to the cyber community. For starters, you simply may lose touch with reality. There are plenty of wonderful people in the world that you can meet face-to-face with, going out for a drink, and just have a discussion. I guess a conversation at 140 characters per message is more rewarding though. What about its effect on your professional/educational life as well? Unless you have a relatively easy job, and kudos to you if you do, chances are your social networking addiction is taking up time that someone else is paying you for. When you hear it put that way it sounds pretty inconsiderate, does it not? 

 

With the few negative effects I have already mentioned in addition to many I have not, let us not forget about all the good social networking can do for us. Take note I simply stated the good that social networking can do for us, not social networking addiction. I see no positive effect, short term or long term, that being addicted to social networking can produce. Perhaps with moderation though, social networking can be a wonderful tool for society. I, again, will give you a short personal story that I feel is a perfect example of social networking being great.

My girlfriend has a son who has made clear that he looks up to me. A byproduct of this is his taste in music at this early age – metal. His favorite band is Amon Amarth, a Swedish death metal band that he knows I am very fond of. He had a school assignment that asked what his favorite song was in which he simply responded with “Amon Amarth”. My girlfriend and I thought this was so funny we took a picture of it and sent it to the vocalist of Amon Amarth, Johan Hegg, via Twitter. Not only did he personally comment on it but he also retweeted it so everybody that follows him could see it. This, of course, made him ecstatic, he could not believe Johan saw his homework, liked it, and retweeted it for the world to see. Chalk that one up in the win column for social networking.

A positive effect of social networking that should not be overlooked is how it can help those who are not very social to begin with. There are various reasons why some may not be comfortable with face-to-face communication whether it be self-esteem issues, medical issues, and so on. Social networking allows these individuals to communicate with others, as most people want to do in some way, without having to worry about those traits and characteristics they feel makes them outcasts.

No matter which side of the argument you support, you cannot deny the fact that there can be both positive and negative effects of social networking.

What is social networking's future? Who knows. The individuals behind such social media hits as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest could not have predicted their success. Personally, I am torn between both excitement and concern. Technology is becoming so good it actually can be scary at times as we begin to realize what is becoming possible. How can social networking become more convenient than literally having it in our hand everywhere we go? We can see where friends have been, what they have done, even what they are presently doing. I like my privacy and although it seems to mostly be a voluntary thing, I just do not like the idea of others knowing where I am and what I am doing all the time. So you may see the occasional Facebook post or Twitter tweet from me but no thanks social media, you will not claim this soul.

References

Maher, Irene. "Social media can become an addiction, but you can break free." Tampa Bay Times. N.p., 25 Jul 2013. Web. 14 Oct 2013. .