Facebook Assignment
Today I will be writing a comparative essay about the articles, “Facebook isn’t making us lonely” and “Is Facebook making us lonely?,” while also talking about how relevant are the contents of these articles today considering how social media has evolved and changed? In the first article “Facebook isn’t making us lonely,” they talk about how alone everyone is and that it is due to the lack of interaction outside of Facebook that is causing us to be lonely. It also talks about how people have become more isolated and that one in four Americans lose the confidence to interact with society. The article also says that Americans are not often isolated, but we spend too much time worrying whether we are or not. The article also says that “people who feel lonely in their lives offline are likely to bring that loneliness to Facebook.” The article also adds that the loneliness is not coming from Facebook, rather, it is coming from ourselves and that the answer of is Facebook making us lonely is no. However, the article says that Facebook is doing worse for our loneliness. Facebook is causing us to crave a sudden demand for attention and with it we cannot be the same. We can never put down our phones, stop using social media, or stop using the internet.
Now for the next article, “Is Facebook making us lonely?.” In the article, it talks about how Facebook has made us more densely networked than ever and yet there is research to prove that we have never been lonelier. The article also talks about how the body of a former Playboys playmate, Yvette Vickers was found dead in her apartment, mummified by a nearby heater, with her computer still on. The article also says that the more connected we are with technology the lonelier we get.
The more we use all the new ways to socialize, the less we have of a society. The article also says that Facebook is becoming larger than many coffee industries and it can be compared to an addiction surpassing another addiction. The article also says that the addiction that Facebook had given its’ users was the constant hunger for a response. The article thinks that Facebook/social media is trying to distance you from your actual friends and social life outside of technology. The article states that, “In 1950, less than 10 percent of American households contained only one person. By 2010, nearly 27 percent of households had just one person.” (“Solved A passage is given below. The instructions for the – Chegg”). The article also says that loneliness is also making us miserable. The article also says that over the years, the quality of society has dramatically decreased. The article also says that “If you’re lonely, you’re more likely to be put in a geriatric home at an earlier age than a similar person who isn’t lonely. (“Is Facebook Making Us Lonely? – The Atlantic”) You’re less likely to exercise. You’re more likely to be obese. “You’re less likely to survive a serious operation and more likely to have hormonal imbalances.” (“Is Facebook Making Us Lonely? – The Atlantic”) You are at greater risk of inflammation. Your memory may be worse. You are more likely to be depressed, to sleep badly, and to suffer dementia and general cognitive decline.”
One of the similarities with the two articles that I talked about is that both talk about Yvette Vickers, the Playboy playmate, who died alone in her house and was found mummified. Another similarity that both articles have is that they both talk about the psychological impact that Facebook and other social media platforms have on peoples’ social lives and society. Another similarity between the two articles is that they both talk about the impact Facebook has on people outside of the social media platform.
The relevancy of the content from these two articles and how it is affecting how social media has evolved and changed is that social media has grown even more than could have ever been imagined. With the release of TikTok, Discord, and the continuing growth of streaming sites like Twitch and YouTube, social media has become a must have for the new generation. However, with the growth of social media, people are now even more starved for attention. Now more than ever, people are on their smartphones, staying home, and becoming less social with the world around them. People have also become more triggered or, to put it better, more sensitive to social drama and media drama. Where if something happens on social media, they feel that their life is now meaningless.
As far as my use of social media involving Facebook goes, I had barely used Facebook for anything except videogames such as Candy Crush and Battle Pirates. Other than that, I was playing a multiplayer game one day and someone playing with me found my Facebook account from the info on my gaming profile then renamed themselves as me and started harassing me in the game with the info on my Facebook. As far as social media in general, I use Discord to talk with my friends and play videogames with them. I also use YouTube to entertain myself with online videos and I use Twitch to livestream to people so that I can entertain them. I tend to stay far away from social media like Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, etc… because I do not need to know about any information that can be gained from them. This way I do not need to know the next hashtag drama alert or how bad the world is or how stupid people are. I can go outside and hangout with my real friends and enjoy life instead of being stuck talking to strangers behind my computer screen.