How Social Media Affects Tangible Relationships & Social Interaction

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For the past couple of years, I’ve noticed a change in how my generation communicates with one another in comparison to older generations. Recent technological innovations, such as social media networking sites has been said to alter the way in which we communicate and the interaction we obtain face-to-face. According to Charles Blow, author of Friends, Neighbors, and Facebook, “Social networks are rewiring our relationships and our keyboard communities are affecting the attachments in our actual ones” (1).However, research shows that social media not only alters tangible relationships but also the behavior of those who utilize the media. The ability to maintain tangible attachments and meaningful engagement with those around us are being affected by social media. Historically, social media has increasingly become popular and the phenomena of portable media such as the development of text messaging and the trend of social networking sites are becoming a part of today’s culture. The development of this media has altered communication amongst people, therefore communication has become less personal and through electronics. We are not confined to one way of communication. Social Interaction through faceless means of communication started with email. Years later came cell phones, and gradually the option for text messaging was available for cell phone users. Since then more innovations of portable and social media have come along and has caused a change in behavior and tangible social interaction. However, the major development that is taking a major toll on interaction among young adults and teens are the social networking sites and the use of portable devices with interactive media. Portable technology’s history extends farther ba... ... middle of paper ... ... technological advancement in a negative light, whereas now we don’t. However, the other innovations aren’t as widely spread as they are today. The internet spreads information faster than before, impacting how society and individuals interact on a more efficient scale. Works Cited Cohen, Roger. "Op-Ed Columnist - The Narcissus Society - NYTimes.com." The New York Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. Oct. 2011.GeorgiaVIEW. PDF file. Douthat, Ross. "The Online Looking Glass." New York Times. Oct. 2011. GeorgiaVIEW. PDF file. Rosen, Christine. "Virtual Friendship and the New Narcissism." Byliner. Oct. 2011. GeorgiaVIEW. PDF file. Gopnik, Adam. "How the Internet Gets Inside Us -The Information"" The New Yorker. Oct. 2011. GeorgiaVIEW. PDF file. Blow, Charles. “Friends, Neighbors, and Facebook.” ." The New York Times Oct. 2011.GeorgiaVIEW. PDF file.

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