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The Sad Side of the Web
By Mark Evans | September 20, 2007
The Web is an amazing tool for all kinds of different reasons. But it can also be extremely addictive and, frankly, unhealthy.
I’m not sure about you but I ‘m downright troubled by a survey done by JWT that suggests a majority of U.S. adults feel they cannot go for a week without going online, and one in three are giving up friends and sex for the Web. “People told us how anxious, isolated and bored they felt when they are forced off line,” said Ann Mack, director of trend spotting at JWT.
The only word to describe this situation is: sad. To think people would be willing to give up some of the real pleasures in life to surf the Web suggests something is terribly wrong. The need to be connected has got completely out of hand. Just look at the growing number of people incessantly checking their Blackberrys, even when socializing.
There’s no doubt something has to give as people spend more time online. For me, it’s television. Gone are the days of channel surfing. For others, however, the Web has taken over their lives, which means people are living digitally rather than socially. Bad.
More: TechDirt contends that while people are spending less time face-to-face, they are interacting with people more by doing it online. Not sure this is something we should be too thrilled about.
Topics: Media |
September 20th, 2007 at 12:48 pm
It’s definitely an interesting trend. The irony of it all, is that connecting online was supposed to result in MORE real world connections, not less. I think for people to forgo real world pleasures as you stated, there are other issues involved that make the web a happier place for them. I mean, there ARE a lot of socially awkward people out there that absolutely thrive on the Internet. The problem is that the web may be allowing them to avoid dealing with those deeper issues instead of improving themselves.
Of course if the world is moving towards a connected nature with telecommuting and so on, and people can get away with not meeting face to face. Well, is that really so bad that they can avoid dealing with their social issues? Maybe it’s a good thing.
I think the broader implications to society remain to be seen. Overall, I’d have to say that things are better off, though I may be bias in the whole matter as I fall SQUARELY in the addicted column.
September 20th, 2007 at 1:14 pm
If it’s any consolation, it has been encouraging to see so many people turn out for the recent DemoCamp events in Toronto. It suggests than even Web addicts need some real social interaction!
September 20th, 2007 at 4:02 pm
I’ve caught myself more than once staring at my laptop, bouncing between Facebook, the blog and other websites without purpose. I think “What the heck am I doing? It’s 1AM, there’s no purpose behind my actions, why am I not in bed!?”
Fortunately for me, I started making a conscious decision to “switch off” and read a book, or go for a walk. I haven’t been able to abandon my blackberry, but you have to take baby steps.
It is sad when you think about it, I agree Mark. So many hours and days just flying by, often without purpose. Hopefully, people will snap out of it when they recognize it’s happening to them.
September 21st, 2007 at 10:26 am
Doesn’t anyone else wonder what’s happening in a world where people can’t relate face-to-face. I, frankly, am extremely concerned. Sure, you can connect with people online, but what about meeting, talking, discussing, face-to-face? Yes, I may be a member of the older generation (heading fast to 40), but I seriously worry about the society we are creating where young people chose to interact only via a computer screen. Yes, I’m checking out blogs at 12:25am on a Canberra morning, but I’d much prefer to be out with people.