Unfounded Fears

The overall theme of these readings is that, while society has a fear that new technology will isolate us from social interaction, the truth is that we are still as socially connected as we ever were. People have historically been afraid of new technology. Rainie and Wellmen even comment on this, saying that people fail to realize that all technological advancements, such as the train, telephone or airplane, have changed or reshaped communities and interpersonal relationships before. The internet and new technologies are no different than the telephone. They will definitely change how we as humans interact, but they certainly won’t destroy relationships. In fact, Rainie and Wellmen point out that “Internet use does not pull people away from public places, but rather is associated with frequent visits to parks, cafes and restaurants…” (119) Its especially interesting that, according to Baym, “greater use of cell phones to call and text close friends leads to higher expectations that friends will use mobiles for relational maintenance” (Hall and Baym, 317-318) Now that we have the ability to stay in connect, we not only use it but are expected to use it. This technology is forming stronger bonds, not destroying them.

Of course, teenagers and the younger generation are adapting more quickly to this new technological lifestyle. In Ling’s 2010 study, I found it interesting that teenagers were considered to be less socially active because of their frequent texting. Ling pointed out the fact that teens were not asked about their social interaction habits while they were at school, but only their habits outside of school. I know that when I was in high school, I was very social during the day, but at night I would rarely talk on the phone to my friends. I wasn’t allowed phone calls until my homework was finished, and I was not allowed to instant message. I would think teenagers now actually have a lot more social interaction outside of school, because they can text, email, and Facebook with their friends quickly. Of course, the flip side of internet use is the fear of internet abuse.I found Lenhart’s study on cyberbullying to be fascinating. When I was in elementary and high school, people were cruel and there were bullies. Instead of posting mean things about each other on the internet, bullying happened in different ways, such as spreading rumors on the playground or in notes in class. The internet has given bullies a different place to bully, but it is still the same action. Of course, offline bullying is still happening, and the study even indicated that it is currently happening more than online bullying. It is a sad fact of life that bullies exist, but unfortunately they do, and that is not the internet’s fault.

Overall, the fear of social destruction at the hands of the internet is unfounded and unnecessary. Each of these readings highlights the fact that the internet is not as
scary as some would like to think it is!

6 thoughts on “Unfounded Fears

  1. I agree that internet bullying is so sad and destructive. Unfortunately, people can hide behind a screen and get a whole new sense of confidence in attacking others. So many sad stories have occurred where no one knew that someone was being bullied so badly. When I have teenagers, I am going to try as hard as I can to really educate them on social media habits and inappropriate or bullying messages.

  2. One of the biggest concerns I have with cyberbullying is the permanent nature of the interactions. Chat logs, photos and videos once posted are out there forever, despite being deleted later on. I’m glad I finished high school in a time when I had to change clothes in a locker room and didn’t have to worry about everyone having a camera phone. While much is being made of cyberbullying, I wonder if its happening more or less than the school yard bullying of the past.

  3. I also agree with Lings 2010 study. I am a mother of a 14 year old daughter and I get concerned with her using her I Pod way to much. She is constantly getting notifications and alerts and she is easily distracted by these “social” events. I hope to influence her better by example that there is a difference between researching and socializing on the internet.

  4. I agree that fear of technology is not necessary. As we adapt to these changes in technology and use them in ways that fit our lives, we become more comfortable with the changes and advancements. Technology helps us stay connected to the people and the world around us.

  5. I agree, but I also see the dichotomous nature of the internet. For instance, just because a hammer could be deadly in the wrong hands, doesn’t mean that we’ll be outlawing them anytime soon. Nonetheless, while we ought not be afraid of the internet, it is always prudent to acknowledge the negative potential of any tool.

  6. Cyberbullying was a factor when I was in high school. Except everyone at my high school used Myspace. Back then, Facebook was only popular with the college kids. I have a 15 year old brother that is in high school and he is always on Facebook talking to his friends. Whereas when I was in school, I called or texted my friends. There are good and bad sides to everything and cyber bullying just happens to be a down side.

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