Are Social Medias Healthy For Our Social Skills?

According to the website Digital Trends, the number of mobile phones will exceed the world population by 2014. It seems as though we can’t go anywhere without seeing a sea of people using mobile devices. Furthermore, network coverage in the world expands drastically. Two billion users were provided 3G by five hundred 3G networks in 2010. People are connected almost everywhere at any time. And the first usage of Internet is for social medias. 56% of the world population has ever had an account on any social media. People spend on average 15 hours and 33 minutes on Facebook per month. Take a look at these interesting statistics on Facebook usage. It is therefore legitimate to wonder if social medias are healthy for our social skills.

Before the spread of Internet, common social tools used were handwritten cards, landline phones (even phone booths) and in-person communications. The development of Internet and mobile devices has affected communications and socialization in society greatly. The convenience of cellphones, even in the earlier stages, gave users an enhanced connectedness, notably thanks to text messages. Nowadays, with the use of smartphones, tablets, laptops, netbooks, blogs and apps, people have access to their online profile almost all the time and this has had a consequence on our social behavior and skills. Some say that for better or worse, our relationships are just different. Everyone agrees social medias are convenient, but are they healthy for our social skills?

On the one hand, people are more social nowadays, since they are connected and communicating all the time. They spend hours learning about their friends and relatives’ lives. Therefore social media has the ability to improve social skills and connectedness. However, on the other hand, people tend to spend less time together, the need to see each other seems less important since all that there is to know about each other is already read on the net. And when people do meet, the subject of social medias, what has been recently posted and shared is always around the corner.

According to this infographic, Facebook is ruining our social skills.

Going further in the research, scientists have proven the rise of a Facebook Psychosis.

Dr. Uri Nitzan from Tel Aviv University looked at patients who were experiencing “loneliness or vulnerability due to the loss of or separation from a loved one” and noted that “a connection was found between the gradual development and exacerbation of psychotic symptoms, including delusions, anxiety, confusion and intensified use of computer communications”.

So, are social medias really healthy for our social skills and health? The answer is up to you.

References:

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