This is my second post of the five-day BSU BlogFest series, where BSU community members share their thoughts on a common topic each day. BSU BlogFest is one of the featured aspects of Social Media Week, hosted by the Office of Student Involvement and Leadership.
Please check out other bloggers' contributions via the BSU BlogFest web site!
Tuesday's BlogFest Theme: Technology
Today's question is: "What role does technology play to help or hinder relationships?"
Admittedly, I feel stumped about this question because there are many lenses through which one could view this dilemma. Experts in political science, psychology, sociology, information technology, and anthropology could sit at a table (or Skype) to discuss this question, and you'd likely find widely different perspectives with no agreed-upon conclusion. So I think it makes the most sense for me to share a few piecemeal thoughts.
1. It's never been easier to stay in touch with friends and family with social media. I figured I would start with the most obvious statement. We have Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Blackberry Messenger, instant messaging (such as AOL), text messaging, and of course lest we forget -- e-mail! I know people whose grandparents utilize some of these applications which goes to show you how easy it is to use social media.
2. Building relationships with people across the world (i.e., networking), including those in positions of power with whom you might not otherwise feel comfortable approaching, is becoming a simpler process. I recently attended the ResLifeTECH conference at Western New England College that highlighted social media's expansive reach in student affairs (it was an overwhelming but enlightening conference for me). One of the presenters, Jenna Magnuski of Northeastern University, talked about how she was nervous for interviewing at a professional conference, and she used Twitter to express that anxiety. Someone tweeted her back and offered to assist in preparing her. It turned out this person was a vice president of student affairs (or similar position), so she ended up connecting with someone she may not have otherwise felt confident approaching.
3. Cyber-bullying is a problem we can't ignore. There are unfortunately many, many cases of people being bullied through social media channels. This is true especially for adolescents and young adults who are still developing their identities and self-confidence. A decade ago, if you were bullied by someone, at least it was only when that person was physically nearby. But nowadays, social media unfortunately gives bullies a lot more power to make life difficult for someone. Victims of cyber-bullying simply cannot get away from bullies because social media is a constant presence. Of course, cyber-bullying has garnered the attention of educators, administrators, parents, and the media, so steps are being taken to address this problem.
4. Social media is ever-changing and in flux; technology that progresses too much for society can lead to something called "future shock." In 2002, when I was in graduate school, I was captivated by a book I picked up on my own called Future Shock, written by Alvin Toffler. It's an "oldie" written in 1970. The author defines future shock as "the shattering stress and disorientation that we induce in individuals by subjecting them to too much change in too short a time." Wow. Alvin Toffler, a sociologist, basically attributes many social problems (i.e., depression, addiction, violence, etc.) to technology that is advancing too quickly for people. His book impacted my worldview significantly, as I infused many of his arguments into the way I think about technology. It's easy to feel overwhelmed by technological advances, including those within social media. There always seems like there is a new web site or way to communicate with each other. And Facebook seems to change its' privacy settings and overall look on at least a monthly basis. We are forced to adapt more quickly to changes, and there is great danger in that psychologically.1. It's never been easier to stay in touch with friends and family with social media. I figured I would start with the most obvious statement. We have Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Blackberry Messenger, instant messaging (such as AOL), text messaging, and of course lest we forget -- e-mail! I know people whose grandparents utilize some of these applications which goes to show you how easy it is to use social media.
2. Building relationships with people across the world (i.e., networking), including those in positions of power with whom you might not otherwise feel comfortable approaching, is becoming a simpler process. I recently attended the ResLifeTECH conference at Western New England College that highlighted social media's expansive reach in student affairs (it was an overwhelming but enlightening conference for me). One of the presenters, Jenna Magnuski of Northeastern University, talked about how she was nervous for interviewing at a professional conference, and she used Twitter to express that anxiety. Someone tweeted her back and offered to assist in preparing her. It turned out this person was a vice president of student affairs (or similar position), so she ended up connecting with someone she may not have otherwise felt confident approaching.
3. Cyber-bullying is a problem we can't ignore. There are unfortunately many, many cases of people being bullied through social media channels. This is true especially for adolescents and young adults who are still developing their identities and self-confidence. A decade ago, if you were bullied by someone, at least it was only when that person was physically nearby. But nowadays, social media unfortunately gives bullies a lot more power to make life difficult for someone. Victims of cyber-bullying simply cannot get away from bullies because social media is a constant presence. Of course, cyber-bullying has garnered the attention of educators, administrators, parents, and the media, so steps are being taken to address this problem.
5. The infrastructure for social media is not sustainable in its current form. This is definitely my biggest concern about technology and social media. We live in a world of more than six billion people, and that number is rapidly increasing. Because of limited resources on the planet, it is impossible for everyone to have access to social media in the way that many of us do in developed countries. All of the technology built around laptops, iPads, and cell phones requires a lot of materials. In all stages of the consumer process -- building, shipping, and disposal -- there tends to be a lot of waste. So while I love social media, I also harbor fears as a concerned citizen that problems of sustainability must be addressed before we cause too much harm to our planet (and ourselves). Limited resources + many people = conflict. Imagine that on a global scale.
Two things are clear -- technology in the form of social media is here to stay for quite a while, and we should expect social media to dominate our lives. We have to make individual and collective choices as to how we use technology and social media, for better or for worse.
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