Ah man, how stupid. I pressed post thread instead of preview thread before I was done writing it.... Give me pls some time to finish this
Done.
Within the last decade or so, our daily lives have changed drastically. With an almost entire world connected through the internet and other media, the sense of being connected with each other has found a comfy place within our brains.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/steveolenski/2013/09/06/social-media-usage-up-800-for-us-online-adults-in-just-8-years/Originally Posted by Forbes
The benefits of increased communication are quite obvious. Protection of Freedom of Speech, a better understanding and solving of global issues and private entertainment, among others.
But lets talk about new issues which have risen on a more private scale since the introduction of Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter and co.
This study here suggests that, on average, it takes us about 6 minutes to answer to a received message even if the question itself is absolutely not important. I find this staggering. Answering to just about anything took us much longer in the times of phone, physical mail and pagers.
With this speed comes a sense of obligation to answer as fast as possible. Because it is so easy to reach you, people almost seem to be expecting answers.
What does this implicate? Are we moving towards a full inter-connection where people can't even take a week off, just for themselves, without the world around them crumbling?
I did a small anecdotal experiment by turning all of my electronics off for a day (24 hours straight). Lo and behold, it got me the police called by my girlfriend who though I was dead. My parents, who are not in contact with my girlfriend, left me 10 WhatsApp and 6 Facebook messages over the course of just a couple of hours with a lot of indicated panic in their texts. Some people from university even told me to stop being a jerk and finally answer to their questions - after not even one day of ignoring people.
I find this absolutely horrifying. Either people have become more demanding and anxious, or Social Media has just become a tool for people to be more in control of others; from your closest relatives who just want to know if you are still alive to the professionals who use it as a marketing tool to sell their goods and services to you.
What are your thoughts?