Social Media Corrupts Human Interactions | Emma Gannon | Part 3 of 6
Summary
TLDRThe speaker at the Oxford Union debates the negative impacts of social media on human interaction. They discuss the rise of superficial communication practices like 'bread crumbing' and 'ghosting,' the addictive nature of social media causing a dopamine loop, and the resulting breakdown in trust and commitment in relationships. Emphasizing the irony of social media being 'social' while fostering disconnection and dishonesty, the speech calls for a more mindful approach to maintaining genuine human connections.
Takeaways
- ๐ The speaker acknowledges the positive role social media played in their career but argues against its impact on personal relationships.
- ๐ฑ The concept of 'bread crumbing' is introduced as a lazy form of communication on social media, leading to non-commitment in relationships.
- ๐ป Terms like 'ghosting' and 'benching' are highlighted to describe behaviors where individuals disappear or avoid commitment in real life while maintaining online contact.
- ๐ Social media is criticized for making people lazier in maintaining relationships, treating them as disposable as items on sale.
- ๐๏ธ The 'maybe' button on Facebook events is identified as a symbol of reluctance to commit and a source of social cancellations.
- ๐ง The speaker suggests that the novelty of social media and our lack of experience with it contributes to its addictive nature and negative impacts.
- ๐ The comparison of social media interaction to a dopamine hit, akin to the brain's reward for physical touch or other pleasurable activities, is made to explain our phone addiction.
- ๐ฅ The irony of social media being 'social' is discussed, as it often distracts from real-life social interactions and contributes to isolation.
- ๐ Statistics from studies show a concerning level of phone addiction, including checking phones during intimate moments and a preference for online communication over face-to-face.
- ๐ The speaker emphasizes the importance of face-to-face communication and the basic human skills it requires, which are being undermined by social media.
- ๐ค The debate centers on how social media corrupts human interaction through addiction and a breakdown in trust, with references to fake news and the impact on relationships.
Q & A
What is the speaker's stance on social media in terms of its impact on relationships?
-The speaker is against social media in the context of fostering relationships, arguing that it promotes laziness in communication and non-commitment.
What is 'breadcrumbing' as mentioned in the script?
-'Breadcrumbing' refers to a form of communication on social media where someone sends occasional, non-committal messages to maintain contact without intending to meet up or deepen the relationship.
What are the issues with the 'maybe' button on Facebook events according to the speaker?
-The 'maybe' button on Facebook events is problematic because it allows people to non-committally express interest in an event, leading to a lack of commitment and potentially more cancellations on friends.
How does the speaker describe the impact of the Internet's infancy on our behavior with social media?
-The speaker suggests that because the Internet and social media platforms are relatively new, we are still learning how to interact with them, leading to behaviors such as addiction and a lack of commitment in our relationships.
What neurochemical is associated with the gratification we receive from social media interactions?
-Dopamine is the neurochemical associated with the gratification we receive from likes, tweets, and other forms of online validation, which can lead to addiction.
Why does the speaker argue that social media is far from being truly 'social'?
-The speaker argues that social media is far from social because it encourages distractions, interrupts real-life social interactions, and promotes a superficial form of communication that lacks depth and commitment.
What statistic did the Harris Interactive study reveal about phone usage during intimate moments?
-The Harris Interactive study revealed that 20% of people aged 18 to 34 check their phones during sex, indicating a high level of phone addiction.
What does the speaker suggest about the number of friends we can realistically maintain based on psychological research?
-The speaker suggests that, according to psychologist Robin Dunbar, we can realistically maintain about 150 friends, with a core group of about 5 being the most important.
How does the speaker connect the rise of fake news and the demise of experts to the breakdown of trust in relationships?
-The speaker connects the rise of fake news and the demise of experts to a breakdown in trust by suggesting that misinformation and the prevalence of online 'gurus' make it harder for people to trust one another.
What does the speaker believe is the role of relationships in our lives, and how should they be maintained?
-The speaker believes that relationships should be maintained in a sacred way, as something that requires privacy and effort, rather than being treated as disposable or transactional.
What is the main argument the speaker makes against social media's impact on human interaction?
-The main argument the speaker makes is that social media is corrupting human interaction due to its addictive nature and the erosion of trust it fosters.
Outlines
๐ฑ The Downside of Social Media in Relationships
The speaker begins by acknowledging their career's reliance on social media but expresses strong opposition to its impact on personal relationships. They introduce terms like 'bread crumbing' and 'ghosting' to describe the superficial and non-committal interactions facilitated by social media. The speaker argues that these behaviors are making us lazy in our relationships, treating people with a lack of commitment akin to swiping through items on sale. They also criticize the 'maybe' button on Facebook events for promoting indecisiveness and leading to cancellations, which further strains friendships. The speaker suggests that the novelty of social media platforms, like Twitter and Facebook, contributes to our indecisiveness, comparing us to children in a candy shop who lack self-control. The addictive nature of social media is attributed to the release of dopamine, a neurochemical associated with rewards, which creates a loop that keeps us glued to our phones, often at the expense of real-life interactions.
๐ท The Impact of Social Media on Human Interaction and Trust
In the second paragraph, the speaker delves deeper into the consequences of social media on human interaction and trust. They cite a Harris Interactive study that reveals startling statistics about phone usage during intimate moments and the anxiety people feel when separated from their phones. The speaker highlights the preference for online socialization over face-to-face interactions, as indicated by a dating site's findings. They emphasize the importance of direct communication and the skills needed for in-person conversations, which are being eroded by the ability to carefully craft online messages. The speaker also touches on the psychological aspects, referencing Maslow's hierarchy of needs to argue that constant connectivity does not fulfill our basic human needs for intimate relationships. They mention the limited number of friends one can maintain according to Dunbar's number, suggesting that social media's broad connections are not as meaningful. The paragraph concludes with concerns about the erosion of trust due to the prevalence of lies, fake news, and the rise of 'post-truth' politics, using examples of individuals who have publicly disengaged from the facade of social media to reconnect with reality.
Mindmap
Keywords
๐กSocial Media
๐กBread Crumbing
๐กGhosting
๐กDopamine
๐กInstant Gratification
๐กMaybe Button
๐กTrust
๐กFake News
๐กHuman Interaction
๐กInternet Addiction
๐กDunbar's Number
Highlights
Speaker acknowledges a career propelled by social media but opposes its impact on relationship development.
Introduction of the term 'bread crumbing' as the lowest form of social media communication.
Discussion on 'ghosting' and 'benching' as harmful social media practices affecting real-life relationships.
The 'maybe' button on Facebook events is criticized for promoting non-commitment and cancellations.
Speaker suggests that the novelty of social media contributes to our lack of willpower in managing its use.
Dopamine release from social media use is compared to the neurochemical rewards of physical touch or drugs.
Instant gratification from likes and tweets is said to lead to an addictive loop that disconnects us from reality.
Personal anecdotes about the speaker's Google whole watching habits illustrate the depth of digital addiction.
Ironically, social media, meant to be social, often distracts and interrupts real-life social interactions.
Citing a study that 20% of people aged 18 to 34 check their phones during sex, highlighting phone addiction.
75% of respondents in a study want to be within 5 feet of their phone, indicating anxiety without it.
39% of Americans prefer online socializing over face-to-face interactions, raising concerns about social skills.
The importance of face-to-face communication and the risks of losing this basic human skill are discussed.
Psychological research suggests that constant phone connection is not a fundamental human need.
Robin Dunbar's theory on the number of friends one can maintain is introduced to argue against excessive online friendships.
The debate's focus on 'corrupting human interaction' is tied to the negative impacts of social media.
Athena O'Neill's story of leaving Instagram fame to reconnect with reality is cited as an example of the desire for authenticity.
An Australian study suggests that couples who are overly affectionate on Facebook are likely to be unhappy and may break up.
The rise of fake news and the decline of trust in experts are identified as consequences of social media.
The speaker concludes that social media's addiction and breakdown in trust are the main reasons it corrupts human interaction.
Transcripts
[Music]
now invite em again and to continue the
case for the proposition Thank You mr.
president for having me and it's such an
honor to be here at the Oxford Union
today so I guess I should start as well
by saying that I'm not a hundred percent
anti social media after all I would not
be here my whole career has been
propelled forward very quickly from a
young age of learning how to code on
myspace when I was 13 to now sort of
being found on my blog and through
Twitter by a literary agent and I guess
cutting corners through the internet so
if this proposition was going to be
about social media in careers it would
be a very different one but I'm very
against the social media actually kind
of thought making sure that
relationships are propelled forwards
because they're really not so I wanted
to start off by kind of looking at some
smaller things that might harm
relationships because I think that
coming out with a show-stopping
statistic isn't normally what you do a
new thing for I will save that for later
so I recently discovered a term called
bread crumbing which is in the context
of social media in the New York Times it
was called the laziest most
non-committal communication possible so
in the context of my life bread crumbing
would be someone saying miss you and we
should hang out and then two weeks later
or a month later you hear nothing
literally the lowest form of
communication on social media there's
also other terms well one is ghosting
benching which is actually kind of like
ghosting which is when you completely
disappear from real life but you
actually continue to text them and tweet
them and snapchat them but you have no
intention of meeting up with the memory
or life and I think it's making us so
much more lazy so it's not just ruining
our dating lives it's also ruining our
friendships and we're treating people
like they are t-shirts and a sale in
Topshop just swiping and swiping
and not really committing to anyone the
other problem I think with social media
is the maybe button on Facebook events
because that is the devil of committing
you basically say maybe and if something
else comes up you know that you'll be
straight out there you will not be going
to that event so it's making us lazy
it's making us not commit and it's
making us cancel more than ever on our
friends I think one of the reasons for
this is the Internet is actually in its
infancy Twitter is ten years old
Facebook is 12 years old
we have no willpower because we don't
quite know how to treat these things
because they're still so new in our
lives and I guess we're kind of like
children in a sweetshop
but the reason we're so addicted to our
phones is actually because we get a hit
of dopamine every time we use them and
we all know that this is a neurochemical
which is the reward molecule so it's
every time we get a like or we get a
tweet or we get anything to do with an
online gratification it stimulates the
brain in a way that a hug does or even
having drugs or even with you have sex
so this dopamine drug can actually make
you fall into a loop and it's making us
touch get out of touch with reality
really and not see our friends as much
and actually break down relationships
there's been a lot of research on
psychology today which says that this
dopamine loop can basically get you lost
in a voice and I know that my personal
Google whole is watching watching Oscar
speeches I can quote any Oscar speech
for the last like two decades basically
so this instant gratification is making
us want to look up the information
straight away see what an ex colleague
is doing on LinkedIn and faithfully and
short it's becoming harder and harder
for us to not look at our phones we are
addicted to them and no one really is
saying how addicted we are even though
we'll happily say we're addicted to
cigarettes or even anything else alcohol
so in short it makes us feel really good
to get a like on social media and this
is why I really wanted to speak on the
motion of tonight's debate because I
feel that it's ironic it's so ironic
that we treat social media is funding
social because it is far from social the
interruptions
we get on our phone are inherently they
are social but they're also so
distracting
Pamela Rutledge who's a director of the
media psychology research center says
that we are we are hardwired by nature
to respond to things that are socially
really compelling and any invitation
will make us check our phone but yet we
see people in romantic restaurants on
their phones not talking to each other
so the fact that we are interrupting
real life social interactions because of
our phones is actually very ironic so
there was a 2013 article and study that
went viral by the Harris Interactive
group and they actually came up with the
fact that 20% of people aged 18 to 34
check their phones during sex so that is
quite a statistics I just kind of wanted
to throw out there because I don't
really know what the human interaction
is but I was really sure that is kind of
up there with an interaction that you
probably want to concentrate on but
nearly 75 percent of those respondents
as well said that they wanted to be
within 5 feet of their phone at all
times and it would actually get them
quite anxious if they weren't so those
also study by one of the biggest dating
sites called the do that said 39% of
Americans spend more time socializing
online than anyone else
20% also said that they would rather
text someone so they have time to think
about a response and that actually kind
of worried me that statistic so I think
that having that ability to think about
what you want to save someone is
actually a real luxury and in the real
life you can't think about what you want
to say you actually have to go and say
it and I just think there's quite a very
manse really to meeting and face to face
and I think talking someone is kind of a
basic skills that we should all aim to
have mouth closed hierarchy of needs
that you're probably all familiar with
says that the constant connection that
we want to have to society by our phones
is actually not one that we need to
survive it's not the thing that we need
we need intimate relationships and also
a University of Oxford psychologist
Robin Dunbar said that we only have room
for 150 friends so all of those friends
we've got on Facebook you don't need
them you need 150 at most you would
invite 50 ma
to a dinner party but actually he says
that size best friends is really all you
need and I agree so I thought it was
interesting as well that this debate was
actually about corrupting human
interaction and I think the word corrupt
is an interesting one when you look it
up it says it causes the cause to act
dishonestly in return for money or
personal gain and I think although
social media obviously is brilliant for
movements it's good for getting lots of
people together it's good for identity
politics politics that's good for all
sorts of things to do with business and
grouping people together but one thing
it's not good for is actually the lies
and the fake news and all of the things
that come along with that and people
basically pulling the wool over your
eyes
there was a blogger in 2015 called
Athena O'Neill she went viral in the
media about kind of coming out of her
Instagram shell and her instant internet
fame because she was tired of living a
fake life and she came out because she
want to get in touch with reality again
because it was just so removed from the
real world and she was so emotionally
detached from that there was also a
study recently that went around it was
an Australian study by sex expert that
said that couples are more mushy on
Facebook are actually miserable and they
will probably break up so if you ever
see romantic selfies they're in trouble
so I think I think what I'm trying to
say is that I think social media is not
helping with our trust and I don't trust
it's one of the biggest human qualities
that definitely should be should be we
should want to trust in one another
because that's what make humans and a
good relationship so the rise of fake
news the demise of expert how people are
gurus now online is actually making us
trust people less the fact that post
truth was the word was word of the years
quite scary and in a world of Donald
Trump I think we need to have some trust
especially when he's let loose on
Twitter so I think that relationships
need to be maintained in a sacred way I
think that they're not something that
can just be returned have like in return
I think they should be something that is
private and actually have a lot of work
put into them so I think that's it the
two main reasons that I think social
media is corrupting human interaction is
because of our addiction and because of
our breakdown in trust thank you
[Music]
you
[Music]
Browse More Related Video
Social Media is Making Us Unsocial | Kristin Gallucci | TEDxBocaRaton
The Art of Healthy Communication in the Digital Age | Ayesha Shakil | TEDxWinchesterSchoolJebelAli
Top 3 Mistakes Men Make With Women: What Never to Do
Quit social media | Dr. Cal Newport | TEDxTysons
This Is How Social Media Is Destroying Your Life - The Fake Reality
How Brain Rot Destroys Student's Life
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)