Is Facebook Making Us Lonely Analysis

In the article “ Is Facebook making us lonely?” Stephen Marche provides an eye-opening piece stating the long term effects that the internet and social media portrays on the human mind and body. He provides statistics and examples of how the internet can affect our health, however these health concerns may only be affecting you because you have let them. The author demonstrates that social media is giving users a scapegoat to avoid physical contact, which in the long run is creating further problems in loneliness and anxiety which already existed. Stephen Marche conveys the idea that the internet has provoked feelings of loneliness through aiding in creating digital connections without providing the physical aspect as well yet, the internet …show more content…
Social media provides multiple opportunities to discover new friendships both online and offline, we as users tend to always go for the easy online friendships Stephen suggests that the internet is just merely that, it is not making us lonely we ourselves are based on how we decide to use the internet. The author says, “ Loneliness is certainly not something Facebook or twitter or any of the lesser forms of social media is doing to us. We are doing it to ourselves.” (608) This provokes the thought that maybe social media users go about Facebook and other platforms wrong, and could benefit from changing how they are using the internet. The internet is just that, what users get out of it is solely based on how they are using …show more content…
The author writes “ Every time I shop at my local grocery story, I am faced with a choice. I can buy my groceries from a human being or from a machine. I always, without exception, choose the machine.” (608) He comes to the conclusion that choosing the machine is the simpler route. Choosing the route of the cashier would involve standing in line with people you do not know and dealing with any annoying circumstance that may arise from this. The author says “ much better to bypass the whole circus and just ring the groceries up myself.” (609) By using the machine, he is avoiding any awkward encounter with a stranger. The choice of having human contact is always present however the majority of the time we look for the easy route and for most cases that is doing it yourself. With today 's technology, you can present yourself in a poised and perfect way without even being present. By doing so, anxiety can be created for when you 're true self becomes operant in person. The author write’s “The beauty of Facebook, the source of it power, is that it enables us to be social while sparing us the embarrassing reality of society.” (609)Hiding behind technology can prevent you from these embarrassing moments, thus far making social media appear to be the safe