Analysis Of Gopnik's The Most Connected Yet The Most Lonely

The Most Connected Yet the Most Lonely

With all the new beeping, buzzing, and blinging coming from the general population’s cellphones, it would seem like the world is more connected than ever before. And yet, maybe the same bells and whistles coming from apps and texts are the same things that are pulling connections apart. Being social is no longer defined by one 's to interaction with others but is more influenced by the forms of media one is on. With the advancements in the internet so, too, have social networking sites evolved. Now that they all fit in the palm of a hand they demand more and more attention. “Contraptions don’t change consciousness; contraptions are part of consciousness. We may not act better than we used to, but we sure

Popularity is now being defined by the amount of “friends” and “likes” one gets instead of how many times he or she actually see a real person. Gopnik explains in his text “How the Internet Gets Inside Us” just this, “A social network is crucially different from a social circle, since the function of a social circle is to curb our appetites and of a network to extend them”. The appetites Gopnik refers are the level of social interaction every human needs. It is part of basic human nature to have the need to be social. Social networks provide the illusion of being connected but once the tab is closed the realization that no one is around becomes

This is further explained in Samuel Greengard text "Living In A Digital World." He states “digital technology can connect families and friends over geographic distances, it’s critical to recognize that Facebook pokes and postings aren’t equal to actual conversation. Too often, we use the Internet alone, and even if others are present, we do not actively interact with them”

It is this sadness that leaves us vulnerable to getting hurt. This vulnerability is what leads people to social media sites. This is because, to an extent, there is a control over the social interactions on social media sites. Interacting with others is, in a way, unpredictable. With being constantly connected all the time there is a illusion companionship without the risk of being vulnerable with a real person. Social interaction becomes controlled and calculated unlike before.

It is to the point that we have to redirect our attention with one screen to another just to spend time with family. For example in William Powers “Hamlet’s BlackBerry,” television does just this, “For us, television had always been a mostly communal experience, a way of coming together rather than pulling apart. (‘Can you please turn off your damn computer and come watch television with the rest of the family,’ the dad now cries to the teen-ager)”