Is Facebook Making Us Lonely

[1BlackSheep]

Saw this article and thought folks here might be interested in reading it. Kinda long, but poses some interesting questions!

Is Facebook Making Us Lonely? - Magazine - The Atlantic

 

[Opaline]

This is something that has been discussed ever since the birth of social media. Obviously, there are both pros and cons, and I think Facebook especially has some great benefits of use. It is worth considering if the cons outweigh the pros, though.

On the subject of personal use, if you find yourself compulsively checking it and/or getting depressed over the content, I'd say you should take a break.

As far as society goes, I think no matter how much people rant and rave, social networking is here to stay in some form. Does that mean Facebook forever? I highly doubt it. Everything has its time and then fades. Something new will replace it. And something new will replace what replaced Facebook.

Notice that each generation has its worries about the future of society and that each generation thinks the next one is the worst, the spawn of Satan himself, convinced we are going to destroy ourselves and each other simultaneously. And yet we are still here, and living longer than ever.

Even so, the misanthrope and pessimist in me can see how these trends might destroy us, if not by wiping us out (unlikely but not impossible), then by destroying our "souls" (aka our personalities, emotions, etc.). People will be miserable. I swear global misery is rising despite us being so "advanced" and luxury-laden. But then maybe that's just because you hear about it more, due to easy access to more people, globally, 24/7.


>>Edit: Strike that; while it's not necessarily pure misery that has risen/is rising, according to the article people are now more lonely than ever before. And that makes us miserable. So it's true, then, people are now more unhappy than ever before.

Well I wonder why... let's see... We have images of what we are supposed to look like constantly bombarding us, we are increasingly fast-paced, we are increasingly isolated and cyber-socialize more and more, we eat crap food and even the "healthy" food is loaded with s***, nature is being demolished, more chemicals in the air, the music on the airwaves SUCKS (oh sorry, that's only my personal opinion and has nothing to do with people's overall happiness... supposedly... ahem). Yeah.

Well, went off on a rant there but it's related, so I won't apologize

 

[Richey]

I haven't used it for years now though i think it would be great fun if i had a big fun group of friends where we could all just goof about on it, but because i don't there really is no use of me using it at all, simply going there made me feel like running from it anyway because i found that the people who i had added were using it to show off mainly their social life and i don't really care what they get up to in that world, its their business.

I much prefer the privacy of MSN or Skype and i hardly use either these days.

I don't think Facebook is making people lonely, if anything its the opposite. Unless you are a shy person who signs up and you just watch everyone else being active. Then it'll make you lonely, sort of like going to a party and watching alot of people dance and drink whilst you sit in the corner. If you aren't wired for it then its really no use having it. Also people change, someone might not want to go near it for 5 years then something happens and they want to use it again.

 

[AGR]

It goes both ways for me,before I used a computer I was really lonely in a foreigner country,after I started using I could interact with people,but it kept me from interacting in real life,I dont even use facebook much,only have 3 friends that I know at work,I mostly use forums like this one.

 

[Gaucho]

in my case. everything related to PC, internet... isolated me. because i have the chance to be in my safe world. i wish deeply in my hearts i would never discovered the internet.

 

[1BlackSheep]

It goes both ways for me,before I used a computer I was really lonely in a foreigner country,after I started using I could interact with people,but it kept me from interacting in real life,I dont even use facebook much,only have 3 friends that I know at work,I mostly use forums like this one.

Me too - kind of have a love/hate relationship with FB! I like that I've been able to reconnect with a couple of childhood friends, but it does make me feel sort of disconnected with life when I see all of the fun/interesting things people are doing and pics of their happy families. It's also a high school reunion year for me and it's very intimidating seeing pics of classmates and reading about their lives!

 

[Shyangel]

I can see how Facebook could trigger a feeling of loneliness. If you don't have friends then you feel sad that your Facebook friends list is empty and whatnot. Also by seeing how other's appear to be enjoying life and making use of it and you are not. Facebook definitely has it's ups and downs. Basicly, just pay attention to how it makes you feel and decide from there. It's not worth it if it's making you miserable.

 

[Divine]

I think it definitely goes both ways. Though, honestly I think Facebook does more harm than good. It's great staying in touch with people, but Facebook has made it easier for a random stranger to find you by just looking on the places you were tagged in on your profile(if your profile isn't private). Now people are getting fired for things they post on Facebook or twitter even and I've even seen some brutal arguments go down on Facebook.

Maybe it's just the internet in general, too but I think people spend way too much time on it. I'll even admit i'm an internet junky at times, the thought of living without it is slightly terrifying to me. I even do about 90% of my school work on the computer, and this a good thing in someways because it saves trees, but it's just reinforcing the prolonged use of a computer. I've been on the computer so long working on homework that when I get off, i'm mentally exhausted....and at times it has some sort of numbing effect on me. I guess what i'm saying is, the internet(you can say any form of technology really) is great for this day and age, but when used in moderation and responsibly(with Facebook).

 

[Kiwong]

It helps me keep in contact and has expanded the number of people I am in contact with. I think I am less lonely since opening a facebook account. I actually have some social contacts which is a novelty for me.

 

[megalon]

I can do lonely all by myself. I don't need facebook's assistance. Honestly I probably only logon there once a month, so it doesn't affect me. It would be difficult to be any more lonely than I already am.

 

[montejocarlo]

once upon a time, fb made me feel really connected. now, it's the opposite.

 

[Apersonalan]

Nobody cares about facebook, just your friends, as it should be.

 

[bcsr]

Facebook doesn't make me lonely. The fact that all my friends blow me off anytime I want to go out makes me lonely.

 

[KareBear]

Going on facebook would depress me so much, so i deactivated my account some time ago. It was just hard SEEING the photos of people I used to call my friends before having my life taken over. Unfortunately, the fact that I have no friends remains--facebook or no facebook.

 

[Azael]

Facebook, and social networking in general, has merely become a platform to promote oneself. People are losing the ability to connect with others and the facelessness of the internet is a very big factor.

 

[N0D]

I'm lonely and I've never done facebook...::

 

[Csea88]

I've been thinking recently how online forums and profiles (while they can be a good outlet) are so much a part of peoples everyday lives and how for some reason people like to document their every move and I do have a facebook,twitter,flickr and a youtube account (because some videos can't be viewed unless you're signed in) and with the SOPA
and CISPA problems I have been thinking it'd be better to just delete all these profiles. I do use my facebook to contact my boyfriend in the army and my family but mainly to contact him. I think sometimes about deleting all of these profiles because so much of your info is just out there on the internet whether or not your profiles are private. The site Spokeo had listings from older houses I use to live in with addresses and the states...all in all...I think we should rely less on the internet to stay in contact with others... it also is detrimental for my social phobia in the first place.....man...now I wanna go outside :O

 

[coyote]

if looking at pictures of smiling, happy people makes us feel bad,

it probably isn't Facebook making us feel that way.

perhaps it has something to do with us?

 

[Hastings & Main]

if looking at pictures of smiling, happy people makes us feel bad,

it probably isn't Facebook making us feel that way.

perhaps it has something to do with us?

I'd Like that if we had a button for it.


Unfortunately I developed a big unrequited love for a friend and had to unfollow her updates, until I get over it. FB accidentally let one through this morning though and it was like a sucker-punch to the head. Just starting to unwind from it now.

FB has many good uses, it's just how we use the tools. And how we try to fix ourselves so that we don't have to use them.

 

[HH]

I often get those emails from facebook saying "hey, you haven't been on facebook for ages....are you still alive" or something along those lines

That's how often I use it