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From Facebook, to YouTube, Twitter to Skype.
Now days people start and end relationships in virtual land; we hear about funerals, births and promotions etc in the virtual sphere as well.
Even the kids of today, instead of playing a game of soccer outdoors connect via wifi; play Fifa on the play station. Still playing soccer but in the virtual realm.
Our Smartphone’s have made social networks available 24/7/365.
We are all social network butterflies, moving from one networking platform to another, all this whilst ‘sitting around a table messaging each other instead of having a conversation’.
What a paradox?
The very same platforms which are designed to keep people connected actually are alienating us from each other. We impede on our relationships with the one sitting across the table from us?
Technology does have its positives; we are definitely more available and readily accessible, businesses run smoother, the world has become closer with a keystroke.
We have quicker reaction time to many aspects in our lives, so the positives are definitely excellent but has it made us less friendlier and sociable?
There is this “open door policy” on social networks; where anyone can reach anyone else virtually and starts building a relationship yet in the real world you don’t even know your neighbour.
We seem to be receding into a virtual world. We spend our time waiting for updates, bbm messages, tweets.... all we do is wait for the beep of the phone. We tell each other we need to be more interpersonal with each other, we miss family and friends. Yet when we are with them ... look around, see how many people are actually in the conversation or on their phones.
Are we so brainwashed by connectivity to the social buzz that we have become awkward in real life relationships?
Before there were thoughts one shared and ones you kept to yourself.Like unwritten rules about how much one should keep as discretionary and the social etiquette ones.Now with social platforms even that has been messed with; there is a third type of thought, the one you share with everyone via social network. So you could think a person truly adores you only to read their status update together with their 200 FB friends.
Are we crossing lines here?
Are we so lost in the virtual world that even a gps won’t help us get out.
Before you ask!
Yes; I am a social networker, but I definitely know where to draw the line. I still pick up the phone and stay connected, do the coffee dates with friends. I respect the people around me and silence my phone or leave it aside whilst we are engaged in a chat.
Maybe I am the poster child of the networking scene or just someone who knows what it feels like to be ignored by someone who concentrated on their phone than engaging with me who was right there in front of them.
We complain about not having enough time for each other, we need to relook at this, maybe when we do have time we are lost in another world. We should strive to create that balance; limit what’s stealing our time away from human contact, the real kind.
I recall the movie – “He’s just not that into you”
" I had this guy leave me a voice mail at work so I called him at home and then he e-mailed me to my Blackberry and so I texted to his cell and then he e-mailed me to my home account and the whole thing just got out of control.
And I miss the days when you had one phone number and one answering machine and that one answering machine has one cassette tape and that one cassette tape either had a message from a guy or it didn't.
And now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. It's exhausting."says the character of Mary.
Check out Saffiya's blog or follow her on Twitter.
You can also Follow Women24 on Twitter.
Now days people start and end relationships in virtual land; we hear about funerals, births and promotions etc in the virtual sphere as well.
Even the kids of today, instead of playing a game of soccer outdoors connect via wifi; play Fifa on the play station. Still playing soccer but in the virtual realm.
Our Smartphone’s have made social networks available 24/7/365.
We are all social network butterflies, moving from one networking platform to another, all this whilst ‘sitting around a table messaging each other instead of having a conversation’.
What a paradox?
The very same platforms which are designed to keep people connected actually are alienating us from each other. We impede on our relationships with the one sitting across the table from us?
Technology does have its positives; we are definitely more available and readily accessible, businesses run smoother, the world has become closer with a keystroke.
We have quicker reaction time to many aspects in our lives, so the positives are definitely excellent but has it made us less friendlier and sociable?
There is this “open door policy” on social networks; where anyone can reach anyone else virtually and starts building a relationship yet in the real world you don’t even know your neighbour.
We seem to be receding into a virtual world. We spend our time waiting for updates, bbm messages, tweets.... all we do is wait for the beep of the phone. We tell each other we need to be more interpersonal with each other, we miss family and friends. Yet when we are with them ... look around, see how many people are actually in the conversation or on their phones.
Are we so brainwashed by connectivity to the social buzz that we have become awkward in real life relationships?
Before there were thoughts one shared and ones you kept to yourself.Like unwritten rules about how much one should keep as discretionary and the social etiquette ones.Now with social platforms even that has been messed with; there is a third type of thought, the one you share with everyone via social network. So you could think a person truly adores you only to read their status update together with their 200 FB friends.
Are we crossing lines here?
Are we so lost in the virtual world that even a gps won’t help us get out.
Before you ask!
Yes; I am a social networker, but I definitely know where to draw the line. I still pick up the phone and stay connected, do the coffee dates with friends. I respect the people around me and silence my phone or leave it aside whilst we are engaged in a chat.
Maybe I am the poster child of the networking scene or just someone who knows what it feels like to be ignored by someone who concentrated on their phone than engaging with me who was right there in front of them.
We complain about not having enough time for each other, we need to relook at this, maybe when we do have time we are lost in another world. We should strive to create that balance; limit what’s stealing our time away from human contact, the real kind.
I recall the movie – “He’s just not that into you”
" I had this guy leave me a voice mail at work so I called him at home and then he e-mailed me to my Blackberry and so I texted to his cell and then he e-mailed me to my home account and the whole thing just got out of control.
And I miss the days when you had one phone number and one answering machine and that one answering machine has one cassette tape and that one cassette tape either had a message from a guy or it didn't.
And now you just have to go around checking all these different portals just to get rejected by seven different technologies. It's exhausting."says the character of Mary.
Check out Saffiya's blog or follow her on Twitter.
You can also Follow Women24 on Twitter.
