When social networks isolate you from the world
With the new technologies the distances have been shortened. Whereas in the past, methods such as letters It took months to get to communicate with someone miles away, today it is possible to talk in real time to talk with another person and even see it through a video call. But, to what extent have they favored social relations?
According to him Center for Research on Media, Technology and Health at the University of Pittsburgh, paradoxically social networks They are focused on increasing the group of friends, they end up isolating us from the world. Although they are seen as "the panacea of interaction", they do the opposite: they prevent people from strengthening their relationships.
Interaction with a screen in social networks
The problem of relationships that are made through social networks, is that they are made through a screen. To check how these platforms could affect young people, this center carried out a questionnaire to 1,800 people from 19 to 32 years of age. These participants had to answer questions about the profiles on these websites.
At the same time, this study asked people about the anxiety they had when interacting with other people and about the friendships they had outside of their computer. Those participants who most used social networks, were the ones who said they felt lonely and isolated from the rest of the world.
Those who dedicated around 61 minutes to manage their social network profiles were less likely to feel alone than those who spent twice as much. Those who claimed to feel fully happy in their level of friends were those who spent less than half an hour on these platforms. For those responsible for this research an explanation is that "maybe people who feel more socially isolated use many social media to try to increase their social circles."
The solution? According to these authors, it goes through leave the screens and interact with real people. "A much more valuable and robust way of dealing with perceived social isolation would probably be to foster true social relationships in person," the researchers conclude.
Maintain a friendship and keep it
As the authors of this study say, it is better to maintain a friendship in reality than through social networks. For it nothing better than to conserve it and take care of it one sees that one has. These are some tips for this purpose:
1. A call never hurts. Do not wait for the phone to ring, dare to call them and suggest plans. A proactive mentality is very helpful to take care of friendships.
2. Always attentive. As we have said, a friend supposes a strong emotional support. For this reason, we must also be so for the members of this group, if we notice that a partner has problems, it is important to let him know that we are there.
3. Patience. Nobody is perfect and as with our partner, if we accept a person as a friend we do it understanding that it has virtues and defects. Do not get upset if at some point you do something that bothers you, sure a thousand more you like.
4. Generosity and understanding. You do not always have to make the plans that you like. If at any time the group opts for an activity that does not convince you, adapt and find reasons to have fun despite everything. Next time it will be up to you to choose.
5. Confidentiality. Being an emotional support, it is not surprising that a friend becomes a bank where the other person deposits the secrets. However, no one likes to reveal their intimacies, so respect the decision to keep this out of reach of other ears.
Damián Montero
