The Anti-Socialism of Social Networking

In practice Facebook acts as a catalyst for meeting in the real world.

I find that I end up getting invited to a ton more parties because I am on someones Facebook page (who I might not even know very well!)

There is a definite friend of friends movement that these kind of social sites have engendered that simply never existed before.

I agree and disagree... I think that social networking when used correctly can get people interacting in the real world by making worthwhile connections (say for jobs). This obviously doesn't apply to alot of people because many don't use it in this way, rather they use it to talk to people from a distance just to stay in touch which can lead to being anti-social.

This concept/debate is years old... I despise social networking because of the fact it now revolves around narcissists posting photos and talking about their day. The only blogs I read are those of general current affairs such as technology, science, and just plain funny things, never personal blogs. Call me a misanthrope, but if I want to spend time with people then it's with those whom I know while sharing a beer or a coffee, face to face. Then again, I'm happy just playing video games. Just enough with the Web 2.0 crap, already!

This blog is a great combination of suitable and useful information and well-written sentences that will certainly entice your sense and update you about new happening. Here I have found the information for which I was looking for long time.

It's a bit funny that in some ways humans are coming full circle. It used to be common for many people to spend all their time alone or with few people on a farm or hunting in the wild.

Technology is changing the way we communicate, but I suppose that electronic communication is better than just watching television or listening to the radio alone.

For me, social networking help my social networking in real world. Social networking usually as first gate to know people, so when meet in real world, I already know a little bit about that person.

The anti-socialism of social networking... Heh heh. What sounds like a situation of paradoxial wording, is actually no paradox at all. I can see the kind of impacts it could have on one's social life.

Being a blogger, social networks have certainly become a crucial element to my game plan in blogging for me thus far.

But I do try to keep myself from being deprived of face to face social contact. But with the demand blogging has thus far, it's become a tad tricky. Hehe.

You are right about anti-social behavior. I find it rude when you are in a gathering and your friends are typing away on their phones to update their Facebook and Twitter while ignoring their real life buddies.

I could easily relate to this since I am not a speaker when you meet me inperson but on facebook, I do talk so much that you might mistaken for an outgoing guy.

Not everybody love the social network, there so many people created account and leave them like zombie, no activities at all.
But still blogger love to connect with social networking sites :)

Speaking for myself I actually use my social networking tools like Twitter, Facebook...etc and often only use it to communicate with people I don't know face to face, I maybe have 1 conversation per week on Facebook with somebody I know in my city or see face to face. I also telecommute often so rarely see people in person, I do most of my communication outside my immediate family over email, phone or social media. (I am a bit of a hermit)

I agree that social media can and does nurture our Introvert status, but I think that's a temporary phase of the growing animal that is social media/networking. Tweetups and IRL (In Real Life) meetups of Web-based groups are becoming more popular, and ultimately (shaking my crystal ball a bit here) I think social media will serve as a forum that facilitates a "global handing out of business cards" type of energy that will allow for comfortable segues into skype ad in-person meetings between likeminded folks.

I agree with everything you've said here. I believe social media can also be a trap to put off difficult discussions in about about our face to face relationships, because we're typing about what need to say on the web but not talking about it.

Excellent candid commentary, btw.

Right there with you, Justin.

I view some of it as a necessary evil.

On the other hand, I'm making friends with people on line who are turning into friends off line. That is, just plain old friends. I like that!

CNN had something on this last week. Internet networking/socializing proved to have cause higher stress levels. I honestly believe this.

Thanks for the comment Elder Depot :) I certainly see your point but as you mentioned that while a person can easily discuss what is going on with those who network (that they also know in real life) what about those who aren't "wired"?

In my life the majority of the people I know offline i.e. friends and family don't FB or Twitter. Is it possible that when such a situation exists networkers are less likely to put forth the effort to find out what is going on with non networkers? Or do they spend a lot of time discussing the current events in the lives of their online friends while neglecting those closest to them?

I am concerned that gradually non networking based conversation may be a lost art as more and more people connect this way.

I agree with you ! Online social networking and offline social networking is totally different. Not only online social networking makes someone unsocial but spending too much online also makes people unsocial

Edit the above, I meant keyboard not keyword, haha!

In other words "Get our more!". Seriously though, online should form only a small portion of your social network. If you only speak to people online through your keyboard it's not developing any conversational skills, the only way to get better socially offline is to engage and put yourself in positions beyond your comfort zone.

Title certainly caught my attention, here I was expecting a heated analysis of capitalism vs socialism in social media.

I both agree and disagree with the premise. It is true that this trend exists and that its numbers are steadily growing as we become an increasingly wired society. However, I do not believe that they represent the majority of social media users. Most social media users that I know augment their "in person" relationships through social media, it allows them to keep in close touch with people who they would not see on a daily biases. This frees up "in person" to focus on deeper conversation as the catching up is already done - Sue doesn't need to ask how Larry's week has gone, she can dive right into asking him about his fight with his brother and the trouble he's been having at work. That's true for now, at least.

For the future, I'm more concerned about 'enclavism' ties into antisocial social media. In this digital age we have unparalleled control over our social spheres, if you don't want to work through a tough issue then just unfriend. Avoidance is easier than ever before, the downside is that important social skills like tolerance, patience, and compromise are not being developed.