The effects of social media and technology

Today, when I wanted to chat to someone who I consider a friend, I was told "brb - checking FB quick". I ended the conversation immediately. I've also been in the situation where I would visit someone, and that person would spend most of the time Whatsapp-texting someone else.

Isn't it sad how social media and technology have made us lose focus on what's really important? Like your face-to-face friendships and relationships? Even when people go out together everyone would be focused on their phones, instead of talking to one another. I find it really funny sometimes that I'm the introvert and want to have an actual conversation, whereas the more extroverted people can't seem to detach themselves from their phones.

What would you do in situations like these?

I always point it out to my friends if they're fiddling with their phones so much because with me, I only meet these friends like once in many months or so.. so it's like, hey are we out today to catch up or are we out so I can watch you catch up with your phone which you can do at any other time? I don't have this much of a problem though.. maybe because I don't meet my friends much.

People will find ways to be unconsciously rude with or without these things... But my pessimism aside, of course it has good and bad sides to it. Is it good for an introvert/shy person/person with whatever social anxiety to have the ability to at least connect with others via social media, or are they just making themselves worse and feeding it? Maybe both.

I actually switched my phone off for a whole week recently and it was nice not to be stuck to it everytime I left the house, even if I don't socialise much anymore, just eating lunch or doing whatever I still feel a bit of a jerkoff to have it out in public like a zombie. Been reading books again instead, but that's a slippery slope to snobbery if I ever saw one. Next I'll be visiting wine bars, wearing scarves in clubs and making ridiculous claims such as "I like the taste of blue cheese" ffs.

Everything needs to be used in moderation, and yeah, I have no problem with socially awkward people but I do have a problem with socially rude people.

Elona said:

What would you do in situations like these?

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People who do things like that generally get unfriended by me in real life.

Seriously.

If a person can't take 30 minutes to connect to me as a ******* human being, face to face, then they don't deserve my time.

People have a way of showing you how they feel about you... and if someone has come to visit you or hang out with you and they spend their time on their phone/tablet/sci-fi communicator... well, I'd say that's a pretty goddamn big hint as to exactly what they think of you.

It's going to get worse before it gets better. It seems many people seem to think of technology as solely a blessing and that if we can achieve it, we should just do it. Technology is also a curse. It is making things more and more impersonal and as time passes, the less we have to do for ourselves, the more dependent on it we will become. As a species, we often don't react to things until they become very bad.

The best part of it all is all these kids today talking about surviving some bullshit zombie apocalypse, as if any of these wimps would stand a chance with their clean hands and allergy to dogspit. Can you build a fence? No. Can you operate a chainsaw? Doubtful. So when this fantasy turns to reality, instead of using their heads and building/maintaining resources, they'll all be trying to charge their ipads to tweet about who's been bitten and post their latest selfie.

We need to set up camp! Quick! Everyone to the local Starbucks!

I NEED A MOZZARELLA AND PESTO PANINI OR I'M GOING TO ******* DIE!!!

#zombieapocalypseproblems

I find it pretty disrespectful if somebody ignores you to concentrate on their devices, I'm not talking about responding to a message or taking calls but I mean a full disconnection from reality when on Facecrap, Twitter or any other social garbage that's replacing normal social interaction. If I feel I'm being ignored for this reason it's something I would point out.

The sad thing is that the 'newer generation' are being conditioned into this, and are also the ones growing up with social problems, depression and exploitation connecting to this type of social interaction.

Luckily I don't know many people who do that, although one friend a bit older than me does have a tendency that way. Always looking for texts. From her husband, who she only left at home 10 fecking minutes ago. What is he, 3 years old?

But she is the kind of person who, having met with me for a coffee and a chat will leave me sitting on my own like an idiot while she goes over and chats with someone else - for 'just for a minute' - which it never is.

It is all rudeness of a sort - with her I think she just wants to show that she is really popular, as compared with me. Not sure if that is the same with the younglings of today?

Its such bullshit, everyone thinks their a star in their own movie. I was on facebook and Twitter quit both and lost touch with my friends. Its not always a great feeling bit im so much more purified now. Free as a bird

Elona said:

Today, when I wanted to chat to someone who I consider a friend, I was told "brb - checking FB quick". I ended the conversation immediately. I've also been in the situation where I would visit someone, and that person would spend most of the time Whatsapp-texting someone else.

Isn't it sad how social media and technology have made us lose focus on what's really important? Like your face-to-face friendships and relationships? Even when people go out together everyone would be focused on their phones, instead of talking to one another. I find it really funny sometimes that I'm the introvert and want to have an actual conversation, whereas the more extroverted people can't seem to detach themselves from their phones.

What would you do in situations like these?

Click to expand...

It's times & situations like these that make me glad that I'm pretty much a loaner... I don't have time for people like that... And apparently, people like that don't have any time for people like me... I was told at a young age not to live my life by someone else's standards... And I haven't since... There were times when I walked out of people's house just because they pull stuff like this... Just got up, walked out, no explanation...

I don't think I would kick the friend to the curb just yet but a good friend of mine takes the train with me. I can't believe her... she came over the other night and was kind of rude about kicking someone out of the seat so we could talk and then she pulls out the ipad .... um...

I kind of joked about it and said, yeh we are sitting right next to each other but we should communicate via facebook. But she still was all over the ipad.

I had put my phone away.. when she sat down. Yeh I don't really look for her anymore on the train.