THE DIGITAL SELF

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The creator of Facebook Mark Zucherberg (Time Magazines person of the year 2010, is both a product and architect of his time, connecting 600 million people instantly.

Facebook alone has nearly 600 million users. “It is the connective tissue for nearly a tenth of the planet.” Source: Time Magazine Article: Person of the Year 2010

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Our capacity for friendships and social connections is developing at a rapid and unimaginable pace

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With mobile technology,

communication is instant, it is

everywhere we are. Image By: Kamshots, Flikr

However, despite its growing level of convenience, We should not only question the impact social media has had on interpersonal interactions, but also, its impact on the self

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Source: Tamara Hicks, Psychology today Article “Take

Time away from Technology”

How has the nature of individuals changed as a result in this evolution of communication?

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The convenience of online communication has potentially had a concerning contribution to such things as Narcissism, insecurity and an empathy deficit in people. Source: Keitth O’Brien, The Empathy Deficit

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Remember when toddlers grew up with security blankets, stuffed animals ,and imaginary friends? These were their source of security and safety.

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As adults, we now share a communal security blanket: Technology. Without it, We are lost and feel withdrawn from the world.

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Without constant use of technology to communicate , the self experiences Separation Anxiety, which leads to the question: Can one relax when they are not immediately accessible? Source: Tamara Hicks, Psychology today Article “Take Time away from Technology”

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Young people continually share what they are feeling throughout the entire day, in an addictive manner. They rely on other people’s feedback to understand and know how to perceive their world.

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People search for validation and even self esteem through their presence online.

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Their online profiles are a way of feeling liked and being popular. The importance of quantity of “friends” could potentially be surpassing the importance of meaningful relationships.

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People can control their image selectively and create a presence that they want others to see

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According to a study on young people today and

their sense of empathy, “today’s students are

generally less likely to describe themselves as

“soft-hearted” or to have “tender, concerned

feelings” for others.” This may be attributed to the

fast rise in online usage and social media. Source: Keith O’Brien, The Empathy Deficit

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“They might be constantly aware of their friends’ whereabouts, but all that connectedness

doesn’t seem to be translating to genuine concern for the world and one another.” Source: Keith O’Brien, The Empathy Deficit

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This growing lack of empathy and narcissistic usage of social media is becoming an unconscious part of our interaction.

What does this

lack of empathy

say about people

today and

people of the

future?

It is a

substantial

concern with the

use of

technology and

it is clear that

people as

individuals are

changing in

nature.

Despite its use as a connector

between people, is social media

actually separating people from

face-to-face interactions?

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With this growing need for approval, this lack of emphasis on meaningful relationships, and this greater sense of narcissism ,the fear of being alone grows along with it.

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This is the

digital self of

today.