Mike Gowar
Client Services Director
- Loves: Watching my kids play football, expensive red wine, West Ham Utd
- Hates: IKEA, rain, anti-social behaviour
- Inspired by:
- French countryside
- My links:
Social Networking - or is it?
I have two teenage boys aged 19 and 17. They are good lads - help around the house; get actively involved in family life and don’t get into trouble - well, not that I get to hear about anyway.
The problem is, every evening they disappear into their bedrooms with their laptops and we don’t see anything of them. They each have vast networks of friends who they actively communicate with on a much more regular basis than they could face-to-face. They create groups of friends and discuss things, arrange parties and probably loads of other stuff they don’t share with me. They transcend geographical barriers; have instant dialogue and create new relationships. And it doesn’t cost them a penny.
But is this kind of networking really social, or is it in fact very anti-social?
I have always been an advocate of good, face-to-face communication. Eye contact, conversation-making, listening to others. These are all valuable social skills that are essential throughout your life and Facebook, MySpace, and the like could be threatening the development of these skills. Could we one day see Job interviews carried out by SMS using only words with no vowels?
On the other hand, the boys do appear to have successfully built a greater network of friends than they could have by travelling round and meeting everyone. And at least they are not just sitting in front of the TV, interacting with nothing at all.
Writing this, I probably sound like I am getting old and grumpy - but at least I have the TV remote control back!
Posted by Mike on 16 Apr 08, at 12:24 pm
6 comments on this post
I read recently an argument that its about having some space that they can control:
- At home, their space (even their room) is controlled by the parents.
- At school its controlled by teachers.
- The can't hang out at the shopping centre because they are automatically shoplifting suspects and security throw them out.
- They can't hang around the park because of the drug users shooting up.
- They can't climb trees in the woods like the old days because of the paedophiles.
So... the one place they can control is their online space.
Not sure if I really buy the argument. Social networking is no more than a convenient way for kids with responsible parents keeping in touch with friends. Those with irresponsible parents are out having sex, taking drugs and shoplifting! ;-)
I wouldn't worry. I've met your kids and they are certainly not socially dysfunctional!
Interesting that Mike and Tim are referring to social networking as a thing that "kids" do. Unless of course they're referring to us 20-somethings as "kids" too! I'm sure they've dabbled in their time...well, may be not Mike.
Social networking is only going to grow as far as I can see, especially as these "kids" grow older and it's ingrained into their way of doing things. It's already starting to work it's way into business, with large organisations using social networking as a way of engaging their employees by creating discussion and gaining feedback on their processes.
I personally have started using Facebook as a way of organising my social time - where else can you get the opinions of lots of your friends together in the same place, when you all lead separate lives? It even means my phone bill has been kept down!
There of course has to be a balance. It's quite a bizarre thought that you can know exactly what an individual has been up to recently, and what their plans are just by looking at their Facebook profile, even if you haven't seen or spoken to them in months.
Social networking:
- Breaks down social barriers and promotes free self expression
- Favours succinct, economic, communication
- Opens up a world of infinite encounters
- Cuts through the clutter by allowing you to find like minds
- Distils the truth and favours the bold
Who needs 'eye contact'.
When kids starts to refer to a conversation as 'face mail', you know that traditional social interaction has shifted down the list of preferred social communication channels.
SMS/Text, Mail, Facebook, AIM etc have become my main communication channel with family and friends both in London and abroad. Just 10 years a go, it would have been really hard to keep the same social interaction going, especially when I lived far away from friends and family.
You're right Dad, you don't know what kind of trouble we get up to!
There definitely has to be a balance.
Spending your life on a computer wont do wonders for the social skills thats for sure.
On the flip side social networking online does break down barriers and opens up communication channels with a broad and diverse audience.
There is also something very rewarding, and entertaining about being able to share and discuss with like minded people at the click of a button.