Sammi Roche
English H6
Elisha Emerson
11/10/17
When Internet is the Alien Invasion We Worried About
Any plans that you make with friends are usually talked about over text or phone call, right? It makes sense when you don’t have matching schedules and you need to figure out plans quickly. But why is it that we have begun to rely more on this way of communication than actually talking face-to-face? Not only do we spend less time with loved ones, but we also seem to have this need to avoid human contact when doing everyday activities like shopping which is why it can be done online. Avoiding people isn’t the only thing that the internet has given us the opportunity to do, but now we can also depend on the internet to get us whatever information we need versus doing research at a library or asking experts what they know. If the internet is so easy to use for research, then its no surprise that it is equally as easy to use to find belonging and contentment. So what if these are all true? The problem is that if we continue to depend on internet as much as we do, it is going to turn us into a society that no longer knows how to interact with each other. Human contact is one of the fundamental needs that humans have to stay mentally happy and balanced. The internet, with all its abilities and amazing aspects, has forced its way into everyone’s lives and now everything about that person relies on the internet.
Almost everyone in developed countries have a cellphone with access to WIFI. With this powerful tool, also comes the ability to text, instant message, and call almost anyone around the world. While that is a good thing to keep in contact with those friends that are far away from you, it is negatively affecting the relationships directly around you. Not only do conversations happen over the internet, but any life events or interesting things are shared with each other through social media. One of the most important aspects of a conversation is the nonverbal part. In Zaryn Dentzel’s article, How the Internet Has Changed Everyday Life, he mentions that, “an estimated 60 to 70 percent of human communication takes place nonverbally.” If such a massive amount of our communications take place through emotions and gestures, then how is talking over text message a beneficial and effective way of communicating? Ideas and opinions can be taken the wrong way when the receiver doesn’t get the emotion or inclination that the sender is putting out because they aren’t there to get it. This puts a lot of tension on relationship, tension which could be avoided if everyone resorted back to face-to-face conversation. Not only is the internet ruining our conversations through social media, but it’s also distracting us from giving the attention that we should be, to our loved ones. As Richard Restak says in, Attention Deficit: The Brain Syndrome of Our Era, with so much going on around the internet, people deal with constant battle of attention (373). When you should be having a conversation with your mom or a really good friend, you might also be scrolling through Facebook, looking up other people’s stories. This causes a disconnect between you and this other person, ratcheting the tension even further. By being glued to the internet, everyone is losing the personal connections they have with those around them.
Avoiding our friends isn’t the only things that the internet has given us the ability to do. Instead of doing that pesky, annoying thing where you go to the store to buy necessary items, now all you have to do is type in your debit or credit card number and click buy. No need to deal with other people or standing in line and wait to buy what you need. So instead of working on social skills and picking out items that you want, they suit you best, you can stay huddled in your house, secluded from all the amazing things going on out in the world. In his article, Dentzel brings up online shopping in his article, and talks about how it’s so much more common to sit down and just click through things that interest you, then it is to go to the store and actually looking for yourself. When you order things online, there is always the possibility of what you get, isn’t actually what you wanted. For instance, when buying clothing online, how do you know what you are getting is going to fit? Look nice on you? Be good quality? There is also the possibility of finding the same item cheaper in store and not having to wait a week for the item to finally be shipped to you. A new thing that has started is buying groceries online and having them either shipped to your home or having them ready for you just to pick up and drive away. Both minimal human contact. But does the person who picked your items have the same requirements of what is good and what isn’t, as you? Most likely not. In situations of getting clothes, household items, foods, etc., you are putting money into something you aren’t sure is going to meet your standards. What’s the point of risking it when instead you can just go to the store and buy the things that you want? The internet has given us an out to be lazy and avoid social contact, but by doing this, the majority of us are having our money wasted and are slowly becoming more and more secluded from society.
In many other ways, the internet has helped us in becoming lazy. One of these other ways is how easy it is to find out whatever we need to know through a press of a button. All news sources can be found on internet with a quick search. As Sam Anderson says in his article, In Defense of Distraction, “Google is making us stupid…the ‘dumbest generation’ is leading us into a ‘dark age’ of bookless ‘power browsing’,” (2). Instead of putting in effort to do research, interview, and investigating, the population has been reduced to just typing a question into the internet and going with the first answer that pops up. The answer isn’t necessarily always right and that can end up ruining homework assignments, work projects, and other incredibly important things. Many skills that people learn through research, also the reason why research classes are offered in high schools and colleges, can’t be learned when quick answers are what we trust and use most often. Our critical thinking techniques and ability to ask thoughtful questions are lessened and our ability to use our brains becomes a lot weaker and less reliable. It’s similar to the use of muscles that are not our brain. If we can use machines to move things around, instead of doing the physical labor ourselves, then muscles will be used less and later use of them will not be possible. Human abilities to think critically are being affected by the easiness of searching on the internet.
As I mentioned earlier, everyone who is anyone (I’m going to rephrase this later) has a cellphone with internet so we all have a sort of connection each other. One of the biggest things that people want is recognition and respect from their peers. When we get this ‘fame,’ we feel like we belong and can be content with where we are in our lives. There is also this overwhelming need to be apart of big events and situations. Another reason why people are so glued to the internet is because they want to be the first to know so they can get involved. Like mentioned in Bill Wasik’s, My Crowd Experiment: The Mob Project, “We get interested in the things we see others getting interested in,” (482). People want to make sure that they’re involved with whatever is interesting people, even if it’s something as stupid as joining a crowd of people to stand there and do nothing (flash mob). This is one of the more tame ways that people try to make themselves known. Other, more dangerous ways, can easily be found on websites like YouTube where people post their stupid activities. With this constant use of the internet which opens up opportunities for fame and recognition, people are reduced to doing what ever it is to become as famous as they possibly can. All just to be known.
So, so what if we are addicted to the internet? What is the problem with being glued to the internet? We are losing our connection to those around us. Instead of making friends and other connections, we are more worried about making a purpose for ourselves. It’s preferred to become known and famous then making meaningful connections with those around us. (Not sure how I want to use this paragraph or what I want it to say.)
Conclusion.
