10 Examples of How Social Media Can be Anti-Social

          The prevalence and popularity of social media such as Facebook and Twitter have dramatically altered the way many of us communicate. These media have provided a means by which to keep in touch with friends and family, and to network and maintain relationships that weren’t previously available. There are, however, some tendencies that have resulted from their use that can be described as somewhat anti-social by nature. Let’s look at ten examples of this social media dichotomy.

1. The ability to post one’s views and activities on one’s profile page eliminates the need to correspond on a more personal level, such as via phone call or email. Though it’s technically asocial activity, the lack of personal interaction that’s required can stifle communication.
2. With the push of a button, social media allow us to not just add, but delete friends without a word spoken or a reason given. We no longer need to discuss our differences or issues with those whom we regard as friends.
3. Social media use can be addictive, and serve as a substitute for other social activities. Most of us can think of at least one person who spends more time working at Farmville than they do at their job or home.
4. The very nature of posting every update in our day-to-day lives – no matter how trivial or inconsequential – can be off-putting, leading many people to withdraw from such media out of sheer information overload and/or boredom. There is, in fact, such a thing as TMI, and there’s no better proof of that than social media.
5. Malware, computer viruses and security issues have led to a backlash against social media out of fear of identity theft or computer attacks from some applications or users. When we rely so heavily on social media to keep in touch, and can’t trust these same media with our personal information, the result is that we either withdraw from their use, or at best curtail how much we share with others.
6. In much the same way as email affected it previously, social media posts have diminished the conversational skills of many users. True dialogue and interaction have been replaced by a series of posts.
7. As with many internet activities, distance and anonymity can create a different dynamic when corresponding with others. We feel free to speak in a manner that we might not otherwise be comfortable with in person. While this may give the illusion of empowerment, the reality is that we ultimately fail to connect in a more genuine fashion with our fellow correspondents.
8. Conversely, this same anonymity can itself promote anti-social behavior in some users. Cyber-bullying, smear campaigns, and trolling are commonplace on many social media websites.
9. Who hasn’t been annoyed by someone who has inundated them with invitations to join a cause, share a hug, or take some questionnaire? And how many times has it resulted in a spam assault by the host of the cause/questionnaire, etc, or unnerving requests for private information?
10. We lack the ability to get to know others in person when using social media, and the tools available to us for screening others (mutual friends, profiles, etc.) are not always reliable. Human nature tends toward a much more guarded approach to socializing when we don’t really know a person.

Social media have brought people together that would never have been able to meet otherwise and have become an integral part of socializing in the 21^st century. It’s just a question of how we’ve come to define bringing people truly together.