Internet for Entertainment and Impact on Social Isolation

Introduction

Ever since the internet has emerged, it has brought a significant impact on the interactions of human beings as well as their lifestyles. In the past, before the internet became accessible, people would go out and converse face-to-face as a means of communication. On the contrary, in our modern society, people use the internet as a form of communication, entertainment, education, and many more. The internet has altered the way people used to live and brought about new ways. One of the reasons why the internet has caused people to be isolated from their real lives is the excessive use of the internet for entertainment purposes. There are 3 main reasons to consider in-depth the impact of the internet on social isolation.

Impact of the Internet on Relationships

The first reason is that people who access to the internet tend to spend less time doing other activities with their family, friends or loved-ones (Dixon, 2015). It is obvious that the longer people spend on social media, the less time they have for virtual interactions. When it comes to communicating with others, they always use social networking sites for it is quick and convenient, and it does not require them to meet in person. However, this gradually causes them to become a person who is very shy and quiet in real life. They can only be an extrovert on the internet. Sooner or later, they will become unaware of things around them and lose their interest about the outside world. Moreover, when they encounter different groups of people, they find it hard to behave accordingly. With actual communication, people have higher chance to effectively learn from others, share thoughts, develop relationships, and discuss variety of topics. The worst case is that it also leads to discrimination as well because they are judged to be different. As a consequence, they will always prefer to be visible on social media to being present in reality.

The second reason to the internet causes people to be isolated in reality, according to Morin, an American Psychotherapist, is that remote workers become less camaraderie with their colleagues for they work online using the internet (2018). When those workers have access to the internet, they can work from anywhere they are since it helps reduce the amount of time traveling to their workplaces. Nonetheless, this causes such workers to become isolated since they are not able to meet and talk directly to their co-workers. When it comes to working, it does not mean that workers have to determinedly focus on their assigned tasks; however, they need to commune with their friends in the workplace on a daily basis. When there are no co-workers around to help you measure your own performance, you might develop a constant, nagging feeling that something is not right (Alton, 2017).

Internet's Dual Role

At the same time, there are people who do not believe that the internet causes social isolation. They believe that people who do initially feel isolated in reality turn to social media. “We do not yet know which came first, the social media use or the perceived social isolation,” claimed Miller (2017). In fact, people who are very shy and reticent always prevent themselves from the public. They prefer being on social media to virtually interacting with others. In some cases, it may be caused by being excluded from a group of people or having no friends in real life; therefore, they try to stay connected to the social media. Apart from this, the internet is not what causes social isolation; instead, it helps diminish the amount of stress and anxiety. Davis claimed that messaging apps have allowed him to connect with people who have given him support, provided a chance to talk about life challenges, seek advice and many other things (2018). With social networking sites, they can talk to their loved- ones or even see them from distance. Plus, the internet prompts many interesting educating and entertaining websites, which people can rely on for their own purposes. Furthermore, when a person feels stress after work or study, he or she may go on internet for entertainment. However, people are still social isolated when they become addicted to the clutter in the internet.

Conclusion

To conclude, it seems like the internet has helped people tackle many of their difficulties. However, the internet is the main thing that potentially causes social loneliness which is a big problem to be concerned. The more time people spend on the internet, the less time they spend with their loved ones, and the remote workers who work at a distance, hence, they are not able to virtually interact with others. Because of this, I support the idea that the internet has caused social isolation in real life.

References

1. Alton, L. (2017, May 15). Is Working From Home Making You Feel Miserable?. NBC news. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/better/wellness/working-home-making-you-miserable-n763711
2. Davis, F. (2018, July 3). Stories From Experts About the Impact of Digital Life. Pew Research center. Retrieved from https://www.pewinternet.org/2018/07/03/the-positives-of-digital-life/
3. Dixon, K. M. (2005, February 23). Researchers Link Use of Internet, Social Isolation, Stanford. Retrieved from https://news.stanford.edu/news/2005/february23/internet-022305.html
4. Miller, E. (2017, March 6). People Who Use Social Media A Lot Are Isolated, Study Says. Independent. Retrieved from https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/social-media-high-usage-more-isolated-lonely-people-study-university-pittsburgh-a7614226.html
5. Morin, A. (2018, June 19). Here’s Why The Internet Has Made Us Lonelier Than Ever. Inc. Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/amy-morin/heres-why-internet-has-made-us-lonelier-than-ever.html