How Much Social is TOO Much Social? Is TOO Much Social actually Making us LESS Social?

Funny thing about advancements in technology, they make things easier, faster, more efficient and ever more connected. Over the past couple years we have really seen our ability to connect w/one another via technology and social media come together, especially w/the advent of Google Plus. 10 years ago we couldn't have dreamed of hangouts streaming "live". They would be way too choppy. The conversation wouldn't have a natural look and sound to it, based on limited bandwidth between those involved, and especially those looking to watch it later. "Here's the link to my hour long chat." Just download that 50GB file real quick and let me know what you think (10 years later when the file is done downloading to your desktop).

It's great that we are all finding new ways to connect. If you have read any of my previous posts, you will know I am a full believer in how amazing these technologies are and their overall positive impact on myself and society. However, there is a flip side to that coin, a darker side that we might not want to talk about all the time. Does all this social media (and technology) actually make us less social or dare I say anti-social? Who is the judge of what is social vs. not social? Just b/c you sit in your office or house and do a hangout w/10 people across the globe and stay inside away from live interaction does that make you less social than say, going to the park and talking w/other people in person or going to a meal and conversing with real people? I know that the value added by speaking with all different types of people never before possible seems quite amazing and very worth while regardless of whether they are in front of you via camera or in front of you in real life.
So let's explore this a little more...


What does being anti-social even mean? In the dictionary it is defined as:

1. Contrary to the laws and customs of society; devoid of or antagonistic to sociable instincts or practices.
2. Not sociable; not wanting the company of others.

There are  few interesting points of contention here. Let's take the first part of #1. Contrary to the laws and customs of society. Well first off, these new means of connecting w/others is so infantile that we have yet to create customs or societal norms based on anything like this b/c it's only been possible for a couple years. What if a societal norm became for all families to do their communications through hangouts and thus create more face time as the children got older and allowed for a better means of inter-family communication? What if we started teaching sick children through hangouts while they were absent from school so they wouldn't have to catch up when they felt better and returned to school? What if a business who could never afford the ability to travel did all their meetings via HOA? To me these could allot for a more fluid and social atmosphere, not less.

However, again, that is the tech lover in me. The opposite can be argued as well. Kids need to go to school  so they can learn to socialize with other children. I think that children need to be around other children, learn how to carry themselves, learn how to act in public and learn how to be a person who functions as a valuable member of society. Does that mean they have to do all their learning at school? I don't necessarily think so. I also don't think teaching children by themselves for 18 years would have the same effect as if they were taught in smaller classes w/other children, to promote working together, collaborative learning as well as learning about other children and not just being taught information.

If we are scoring social vs. anti-social I would call it a tie(if scoring off of point #1). Society will adjust and who knows, it might add more value to now, mix in this different type of socializing. The type that adds value by interacting with people that could have not been possible before the advent of G+ and HOA connectivity. However, it's a tie b/c you have to interact with others face to face, no man is an island onto himself, isn't that the saying?  You must engage with real live people no matter what, that is necessary in order to call ourselves a society of people, not a society of individuals.

Let's move on to the 2nd point in the definition of being anti-social: Not sociable, not wanting the company of others. This doesn't seem to apply to many people on social media per se...but I think the literal definition could be that it's not sociable "in person" thus refrains from social interaction. I am pretty sure when the dictionary was written, HOA or Hangouts weren't defined...Leading us to the point of how social are we really? Does the ability to do an HOA w/great minds, making new social connections far out weigh that of a chance encounter while getting coffee....it very well might. I don't think that I would recommend holing up in your house, living exclusively through Peapod and only socializing strictly through HOAs. You might gain some pretty super smarts but then again you might melt if you actually walked outside. Again, we wouldn't be a society if we didn't all go out and physically interact with each other.

I think that all of our social habits are still being shaped. Like clay we are molding ourselves into who we feel we are as social creatures, and all humans are inherently social, on some level. I think that all these technological advances certainly can make people less outwardly social (Like when we sit at a table while eating at a restaurant and play with our smartphones. That's certainly not more social, it's less and I am indeed sometimes guilty of this myself). Do we need to re-define what social is and what anti-social is??? I think we might...what do you guys think??? If you are social, talk to me, I would love to hear your thoughts about the impact tech is having on our daily lives...Is it good, is it bad? Do we need it or do we just want it really bad? I think it's too early to tell...What do you guys think?

Michlin Metals is a Woman Owned Small Business, Aerospace Metal and Stainless Steel Distributor. Follow Michlin on Twitter @MichlinMetals, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ or on the Web at www.michlinmetals.com. More on the author on Google+.