The Duality of Technology: Connection and Isolation

In the article “Is Facebook Making Us Lonely”, Stephen Marche calls to question the impact that Facebook, other social networks, and technology as a whole, has on society. The article begins with a startling anecdote about the once beloved actor and Playboy playmate Yvette Vickers. Despite her major contributions to the film and entertainment industry, Yvette Vickers’ life still came to an isolated and lonely end; her rotting body was found by a neighbor in her home nearly a year after she died. In her final years of life, Yvette Vickers became withdrawn from her close friends and family, and turned to “distant fans who found her through fan conventions and Internet sites (Marche 2).” This story accurately exemplifies the main idea Marche is trying to convey which is that technology is making human connections more plentiful whilst also making them more shallow and superficial. Vickers may have had a mass of online communication each day, however, none of these connections were close or meaningful. No one cared enough to check up on her when she stopped responding. Marche implies that more close and meaningful connections could have potentially resulted in a more timely discovery of Vickers’ body.

Another idea Marche highlights in his article is the capability that technology has to connect people with a vast amount of other people and information.

Through social networking, we can instantly chat with someone across the globe. With internet access, we can access news stories from nearly every country on earth. Marche worries that this unlimited sense of connectedness may have the adverse effect in society. He states, “We live in accelerating contradiction: the more connected we become, the lonelier we are (Marche 2).” Between the unlimited amount of information available to us and the speed at which we can access it, many people feel that there is no time for meaningful connections or even no point to making

them.
Marche theorizes that this lonely and isolated lifestyle could be intentional. He explains that we, as Americans, prefer to be in solitude; we strive for it. From pilgrims, to cowboys, to astronauts, the American dream often stems from lifestyles revolving around solitude. The appeal varies from person to person, but many equate a solitude lifestyle to one of adventure, independence, and success. Marches’ theory leaves an open-ended question of if it is the American culture making us lonely or if it is the American people choosing to live this way. In either case, Marche declares loneliness an “epidemic” and suggests social media use is an addiction. This declaration is supported with a mass of statistics which illustrate both social media use and loneliness are on the rise.
The final key point discusses is whether it is the internet making us lonely, or if lonely people are simply attracted to the internet. It is a matter of if this correlation is really a causation. Marche concludes that technology is “merely a tool (Marche 7),” and it is up to the user of these tools to determine their outcome. Obviously, someone who effectively communicates with others in real life will be better off than someone who relies on technological tools for communicating. With that being said, Marche acknowledges that when used appropriately, technology can actually improve our social presence. Ultimately, Marche decides that Facebook is not to blame for making us lonely. Social media and technology can help or hurt the epidemic of loneliness, depending on how it is used. Whether or not we are lonely is determined solely by us. Humans are in control of making personal connections with others and the level and the means by which they do so is their own prerogative.