Obstacles of Social Media and Instant Communication

¶ … social media and instant communication pose obstacles to such reflection and serious thinking? How can college students practice serious reflection in our always-connected and instantaneous world?

Just like virtually every student of my generation, I feel a need to be constantly 'connected.' I have a cellphone that I check obsessively and when I am doing schoolwork, my Twitter, Facebook, and other social media accounts are always open. To justify my virtual addiction, I remind myself that not all of my online pursuits are frivolous. I read The New York Times online; when someone challenges me with a fact or a quote, I feel reasonably confident that I can find a reliable online source to research what they have claimed. But along with that instantaneous ability to explore new ideas and meet new people, I do believe that something has been lost, in terms of the way my generation apprehends the world, versus previous generations.

In the 19th century, it was not unusual for families to read Dickens and other great works of literature late at night to one another -- long, extended sprawling works that could not be summarized neatly into 140 characters. Even my parent's generation huddled around the television set, watching the same programs or films without the ability to flick through a hundred channels. The Internet infects all of our brains with ADHD. The longer I surf online, the more I want an article to get to its point quickly, or better yet sum up things with a picture. It is difficult to read long, reflective analysis online. This impinges upon even our human relationships: if a problem can't be summarized in a sound bite, we might think it is not worth saying.

We are more globally connected, and I believe that is a 'good thing' in terms of how it forces members of all nations, races, and creeds to see a common thread of humanity across miles and cultures. But it is easy to become overwhelmed by the possibilities of connections to the point that the ability to forge deeper, specific and high-quality ties is lost. I would like to think that I am immune from the negative cultural influences of the Internet, of course, and only reap the positive benefits. But even within my own life trajectory, I realize a difference. When I was younger and spent less time online, it was not unusual for me to read through several hundred pages of a Harry Potter novel on a weekend. Today, on the rare occasions when I have time to read for pleasure, I am more likely to read a blog post. I cannot remember the last time I took the time to write in longhand: a painstaking process. The ability to type and email has made me a more frequent communicator, but I choose my words less carefully.

I would not want the online revolution to be 'undone,' however. It has given me the opportunity to learn so much and given me independence as a learner. Books are wonderful things, but no library can be flipped through as quickly as a few webpages. What is vital is to remember that the online world is only one way of connecting, only one way of apprehending reality. It can open up our minds and spark our curiosity to venture to learn about new subjects in the library or face-to-face but we must always take that critical 'second step' away from the comforts of our computers.

I do not believe that the instantaneous nature of the virtual world provides an inherent obstacle to communication provided it is used wisely and users recognize the limitations of that world. While I am a daily user of social media, the people with whom I interact are individuals whom I know in real life and have genuine connections with outside of the blue screen of Facebook. The topics I talk about online pertain to interests with a 'real life' component, like music and politics. I do not lose myself in virtual, created worlds where I talk to strangers about events that only exist online.