On Virtual Socialization.

We all seem to live and breathe social media.  Take that away for just two days, and we’re likely to suffer some serious withdrawal symptoms – ok, so perhaps that’s an exaggeration.  If you were to meet someone on the street and asked for his contact information, the likely response would probably be:  Are you on Facebook?  And don’t be surprised if you get directed to some other social networking site that you’ve never even heard of.  That’s right, technology is evolving by the minute as we speak!

This is all well and good but we have to ask – in today’s tech-savvy world, are we losing our sense of human voice and touch?  Is social media killing the art of personal communication, and how is it affecting our everyday lives?

As I look on my iPad I currently have apps for Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, LinkedIn, Instagram, Tango, Path (my new favorite), FourSquare, Voxer, and Google +. These are all different social media platforms that many of us take part in on a daily basis. Sometimes I wonder how I even keep up with it all. Tweeting one second, while updating my status on Facebook and posting a picture on Instagram the next, it can be tiring.

I believe social networking technology has changed our lives for the better, but at a cost. Social networking tools have made it nearly effortless for me to keep in touch with friends, family and colleagues. I can know what's on their minds, who else they know, and even what they are doing at this very moment. On the other hand, I'm not sure I need to know any of that.

While all humans need to feel connected to each other or to some cause, there are also times when we simply want to disconnect, and disconnecting is becoming increasingly hard thanks to social networking technology. As one who was bitten by the Blackberry bug, I can attest that the pull of these wireless electronic is often too strong to resist. Today, we experience a feeling of isolation when our Internet 

connections go down, revealing just how dependent we've become on the connective power of the Web.

I remember every time our internet wi-fi connection stopped working, meaning there are no e-mail, no voicemail, no Facebook, no Skype, and no Twitter, my siblings would panic for a moment but would eventually get out of their rooms and really talk. I enjoy those moments. I use various types of electronic communication on a regular basis and have to admit I can't remember what life was like without it. Enjoy the benefits of these technologies, but don't forget to make time for valuable face-to-face contact. There will never be a substitute for comforting words followed by a big hug!