Better Information Retention

 

 Community Vs. The Loner

People are naturally inclined to group with others; this is known as the "social norm". In recent years, however, the trend towards online socialization and communication has created a paradox in our society. On one hand we often hear that communicators are becoming more fragmented and less capable of reaching out to people outside their immediate circles. On the other hand, this same trend pushes us to expand our personal networks by sharing content on social media platforms like Facebook. Is it possible for individuals to maintain meaningful relationships while also optimizing these networks? This post will discuss community vs. individualism in relation to relationships and how they impact one's health and self-care practices.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2013, an estimated 2.8 billion people were overweight or obese in wealthy countries, with 70% of them being men and 30% women. This is a huge number: approximately 1 in 4 people worldwide is struggling with excess weight. At the same time, it is impossible to talk exclusively about obesity (and the health issues that come along with it) without mentioning social networks and online socialization. Online socialization involves online communication and interaction, which has been shown to have significant effects on relationships and well-being (e.g., Parikh & O'Reilly 2015). The following paper will discuss how online socialization can impact how we approach our relationships and how we care for ourselves. Ultimately, it will be argued that while social media can be a useful tool to expand one's network, it may also hinder success in forming meaningful relationships in the offline world.

Social media was the subject of a recent New York Times article where authors Moskowitz, Li and Eyal suggest there is a new type of "social currency" being used by teenagers today: social capital (2013). The latter is defined as "the ability to make valuable social connections through your personal contacts in order to get ahead", which has become far more important than financial or physical capital. The authors point out that in the present day, most of our social capital comes from people who we have never met in person.

The social networking giant Facebook has more than 1 billion active users worldwide (Statistic Brain 2015), accounting for almost half of the world's 2.3 billion Internet users. In addition to this, e-dating services like OkCupid and Tinder have become commonplace among young adults looking to find love in this digital age. What are the benefits of online socialization? It allows us to establish connections with people who we would not have otherwise reached; it also allows us to connect with people that share similar interests and aims (Moskowitz, Li & Eyal 2013). Others have suggested that online socialization connects us with people that live far away from us but it is a convenient way to make new friends in our immediate vicinity (Owen 2015).

The downside to online relationships is the potential for it to become shallow and superficial, as demonstrated by research from the University of Michigan. This study surveyed more than 15,000 young adults over 5 years, making it one of the largest studies on this topic (Moskowitz, Li & Eyal 2013). The results showed that when compared with face-to-face interactions, participants had less contact with their friends and acquaintances over time. In addition, participants reported feeling less close to some of their online contacts than others. The authors suggest that this could be due to the fact that people take on a more "professional" attitude when communicating via social networking platforms.

The above study showed that social networking sites made it easier to reach out to others and maintain consistent contact with them. In addition, they also found that online friendships were more likely to maintain steadiness and consistency over time compared with face-to-face friendships. It is also important to note that researchers used the term "friends" in their definitions for these participants; however, this does not necessarily mean participants did not ever meet their online friends in person (Moskowitz, Li & Eyal 2013).

Another study by Parikh and O'Reilly (2015) investigated the relationship between online socialization and face-to-face relationships. They asked college students to report on their online interactions as well as in-person interactions they had with their friends. In addition, they also measured self-disclosure, which refers to the amount of information one shares about themselves with others. The results of this study showed that participants who frequently used Facebook were more likely to be loners, meaning those who were not connected socially at all (Parikh & O'Reilly 2015). The authors suggest that even though Facebook is used to maintain contact with others, it actually hinders success in forming meaningful relationships with our real-life friends. In addition, self-disclosure is much greater among individuals who interact in-person versus online. Taken together, these studies indicate that social media platforms have the potential to negatively impact the qualities of our face-to-face relationships.

The paradox of online communication has a direct effect on how we approach our connections and how we care for ourselves. It is important for people to be aware that connecting with others online does not necessarily translate into emotional support and social intimacy (Moskowitz, Li & Eyal 2013). This is what can hurt people when they meet their "friends" face-to-face, who have no vested interest in them than their physical appearance (Parikh & O'Reilly 2015). Online socialization has the ability to change how we conduct our relationships with others. In the online world, we are able to see things that may not otherwise occur in reality; it is easy to take things at face value (Moskowitz, Li & Eyal 2013). This may lead us to feel more connected when we are on Facebook or another social media platform and less likely to connect with others in real life. The authors suggest that people should be realistic about their relationship goals, whether it is through face-to-face or on social networking platforms. If we believe something's not going to work out, then we will likely not pursue it in the first place (Moskowitz, Li & Eyal 2013).

The paradox of online communication has a direct effect on how we approach our connections and how we care for ourselves. It is important for people to be aware that connecting with others online does not necessarily translate into emotional support and social intimacy (Moskowitz, Li & Eyal 2013). This is what can hurt people when they meet their "friends" face-to-face, who have no vested interest in them than their physical appearance (Parikh & O'Reilly 2015). Online socialization has the ability to change how we conduct our relationships with others. In the online world, we are able to see things that may not otherwise occur in reality; it is easy to take things at face value (Moskowitz, Li & Eyal 2013). This may lead us to feel more connected when we are on Facebook or another social media platform and less likely to connect with others in real life.

Conclusion

Social media, like all other forms of communication, is important in the way it helps us to connect with others. It can provide us with a forum to foster discussion and interaction with others—ideally relating to our interests and activities. However, as is true with all forms of media, social media presents opportunities for both positive and negative outcomes in terms of human relationships. The paradox of online communication has led to an interesting concern that while we may have the ability to connect with others easily through social media platforms, this can also lead to a possible disconnection between real-life face-to-face interactions and our virtual contacts (Moskowitz & Li 2013; Parikh & O'Reilly 2015).