Are We Too Wired?

We live in a digital world and rarely disconnect from it. Facebook now has 1.7 billion users worldwide, and Instagram has about 600 million monthly users. Snapchat’s 158 million daily users post a total of 2.5 billion snaps every day.   

Some experts say there are major downsides to being so wired, ­especially for young people. For one thing, research shows that ­prolonged social media use may hurt some kids’ self-esteem and can prevent them from developing ­certain social skills.

A recent study from the University of California, Los Angeles, for example, found that sixth-graders who didn’t use electronics for just five days were much better at ­reading emotions than their peers who continued using technology.

But many other people say there’s nothing wrong with relying so much on digital devices. They point out that social media allows us to connect with people all over the world, including those with ­different views and experiences. Supporters of frequent technology use cite separate research showing that teens who are active on social media are just as socially adjusted as their peers who aren’t.

Are we too wired? Two experts—a public-policy researcher and the head of a digital communications company—weigh in.

About a year and a half ago, I attended a meeting in Switzerland that gathered 450 “changemakers” to tackle some of the world’s most pressing challenges. I thought the participants would leave with new relationships and perspectives on complex issues, such as poverty and climate change. Instead, participants spent the majority of the meeting glued to their phones, taking selfies and sharing on Facebook. 

This experience is typical of a shift in values taking place in our society. Increasingly, we’re spending time engaged in activities less for their own value and more for how we will look to others if we’re seen on social media doing them. 

In my opinion, something important is lost in the process of sharing so much of ourselves online. Getting social media “likes” and new followers provides us with public approval. But this need for constant sharing—and the immediate gratification that comes with it—lessens the significance of the things we share. Some parts of our lives are worth keeping private. Plus, many of the relationships we form online are largely superficial.

In addition, constant online sharing can have consequences, especially for young people. A handful of studies, including one recently conducted by researchers at the University of Michigan, suggest that increased Facebook usage can hurt some kids’ ­self-esteem. That may be because when they constantly see all the fun things others are doing, they can feel left out. 

In short, because of our growing dependence on technology and social media, we have become afraid of spending time alone.

—Emerson Csorba
Fellow, Canada’s Public Policy Forum

Humans are social creatures who seek out opportunities to connect with others. The internet is particularly effective in helping us do that.

For example, websites and social media allow music, sports, and culture to spread easily across the globe. Twitter allows me to share my opinion on the issues I care about—much as I would at the dining room table. The key difference is that I’m now able to share my thoughts with a global community, not just a local one.

The internet also enables people to easily engage with causes they care about—and make an impact on the world. Consider the ALS ice bucket challenge. Thanks to 2.2 million Twitter mentions and 2.4 million Facebook videos, it swept across the nation in the summer of 2015. (In the challenge, people dumped a bucket of ice water over themselves to raise awareness about the debilitating disease ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.) The ice bucket challenge raised more than $115 million that ended up leading to a major scientific breakthrough.

When I first began researching social media in 2004, most experts assumed that people who interacted online did so because they weren’t able to create real-world relationships. But I quickly discovered that teens who used chat rooms, for example, were just as socially adjusted as their peers. In fact, many studies have shown that people who connect with others online are less likely to be socially isolated than those who don’t. 

There are some aspects of social media that cause more harm than good. But overall, the deeper connections that take place online make it easy to engage with the world—and change it for the better.  

—Noa Gafni Slaney
Founder and chief executive, Impact Squared