Dalai Lama once said, “Human beings are social animals.” However, Social media, as ironic as it may seem, has led to the disruption of Dalai Lama’s belief supporting human sociability. According to the 12-month survey by the Harvard University health publishing website, over 64% from 48,000 college students felt a sense of loneliness after spending a significant amount of time in technological connections through Social media. Technology today is an indispensable part of our survival, as its influence is overseen in every aspect of our lives.
Over the years, its use has seen progress for the better in several of these aspects of life. Its emergence has led to the innovation and advancement of health care, leading to new and improved treatments and medicine. Additionally, it has also broadened the scope and reach of education to people from all walks of life, as well as created multiple platforms that can efficiently facilitate knowledge through the click of a button.
In the times of the old (before Technology), the basis for connections between human beings was primarily and solely centred around a comprehensive barometer of personal association – i.e., face to face conversations in public spaces such as coffee shops, events, parties, functions, etc. The time used in sharing stories and correlating with people at meetings exemplified connection as people arrived with earfuls to discuss incentives and happenings. However, this does not seem to be the case today, as digital connection through Technology has more or less replaced personal contact.
This habitual action with Social media has become a worldwide norm, as people now falsely believe that online connections are a legitimate way to correlate and build bonds with people one which alters the brain’s understanding of relationships from personal connection to that of a hoax – little to no interaction. As a result, the hoax of connections eventually leads to people often finding themselves alone and immersed in self-inflicted and unhealthy privacy, ultimately forming a basis for loneliness.
The issue of loneliness is caused due to an ideology that is subconsciously developed by prolonged use of social media. This ideology induces individuals by developing fallacies in the brain, insisting that the human mind is already well connected with the outside world through the zealous use of the social network, and doesn’t require a public gathering or personal contact to socialize and connect with people.
Conclusively, we need to realise that if we don’t make any effort to overcome loneliness, we will potentially endanger ourselves damage the immune system caused by hampered cognitive health ailments such as depression and anxiety. Essentially, in order to prevent such situations, we need to prioritise social (face to face) connection over social media relationships, as unlike technological connections which subconsciously keep one isolated, personal association will help us experience invaluable interaction which is critical and has always been critical for a healthy living for generations.
