Technology & Social Interaction

One topic that always seems to come up nowadays when I'm talking to people is the effect of technology, like cell phones & social media, on human interaction.

I see these things as a tool that can be abused or used for meaning purposes. What is really happening is a form of virtual telepathy- where people are silently transmitting thoughts & ideas to each other immediately, across the entire world. It's simply a different form of communication, like vocalizing noises through the air, or exchanging ideas through writing. 

However, there is no denying that the ability to mentally engage with cyberspace is changing the way people socialize in "meatspace," or what we understand to be the "real" world. I've definitely noticed the tendency for kids (& adults) to become fixated on their mobile devices, as soon as there is any lack of immediate stimulation.

However, I saw this funny comparison below, that suggests that maybe people have always been prone to distraction. Only now, it's easier with our gadgets to shift our awareness to something else.

Cheezburger.com:

Clearly It's PHONES 
That Are Keeping Us Antisocial These Days 

I also came across this funny comic below from the Bizarro Blog!, that shows the dichotomy of people's fear & love of the ever more ubiquitous cameras- that are uploading all aspects of the human experience to the hive mind that we call The Internet.

Most people are still resistant to the idea of relinquishing their privacy, but as social creatures we feel the need to share our lives & experiences with the rest of the world.

Spyware Neutering

 click to enlarge