Essay Example on The Impact of Social Media on Socialization

The Impact of Social Media on Socialization Abstract How does social media impact human socialization This study examines the relationship between the use of social media and the impact it has on social interactions It explores how social media platforms such as Facebook SnapChat and Twitter have changed the way people conduct social interactions with one another daily This study set out to explore the negative and positive impacts of these changes on human socialization Empirical data was collected using a survey tool through structured face to face interviews The qualitative data obtained shows while social media has its benefits there are negative impacts on the social interactions between individuals It compares the impact of social media on individuals from different age groups It shows a close correlation between social media usage and decreased face to face social interactions Over time Innovation and creativity have changed the landscape of social interaction between humans Ancient forms of human communication include cave drawings smoke signals symbols and carrier pigeons During the late 1800 s communication became more advanced with the invention of the typewriter and the telephone 

Roughly one hundred years later a military project resulted in what we know today as the internet With a little innovation the internet made social interactions between people easier than ever although the convenience may come at a cost Some theories suggest that heavy reliance on social media for human interaction will weaken communication skills hinder meaningful social interactions and negatively impact personal relationships However lack of research regarding the impacts of social media on socialization leaves many wondering what the consequences really are The purpose of this study was to assess the impacts of social media in human socialization across various age groups I chose to use a survey to conduct the research The Social Media survey tool consisted of 10 open ended questions in order to capture qualitative data To ensure the balance of the demographic profile subjects were chosen according to age race sex and income The sample size was limited to five participants 3 females and 2 males of which 3 were Caucasian 1 was Hispanic and 1 was African American They were further classified by their age range 15 19 20 29 30 45 and 46 plus The primary data was collected from the five respondents and a comparison analysis was conducted Survey answers varied among respondents but there were some commonalities among the individuals in similar age groups 

The three subjects in the 30 and over age range all feel that social media distracts them from spending quality time with loved ones All three of them reported having an ongoing feud with a loved one regarding the distraction caused by social media use On the contrary the two subjects in the 15 29 year age range feel like social media strengthens their social connections with friends and family They feel more in touch than ever before with social media connecting them to friends and family This type of socialization is what they are used to so they are not really missing anything In fact they feel as though they are gaining social time because of the instant connection social media provides Social interactions play a vital role in human development and behavior As humans go through the various stages of life infancy to late adulthood social interactions shape their understanding of the world around them Human socialization begins at birth During the first weeks of life Interactions with parents and siblings teach infants basic human emotions such as happiness anger fear surprise and joy Early interactions with family members and caregivers provide children a foundation to build on as they grow Interactions during the first years teach skills such as self feeding communication and friendship As children are exposed to influences outside the home they begin to develop social skills such as self control sharing and relationship building Imagine if these skills were never learned Dining out would be an entirely different experience Adults would be pitching fits and fighting over the menu Sadly there are known cases of human isolation that prove the importance social interaction The results provide an interesting insight into how different generations use view and are impacted by social media Eventually social media will be accepted for what it is cultural evolution Calestous Juma a professor in Harvard University s Kennedy School of Government said it perfectly people don t fear innovation simply because the technology is new but because innovation often means losing a piece of their identity or lifestyle Innovation can also separate people from nature or their sense of purpose two things fundamental to the human experience Juma 22 Juma C 2016 Innovation and its enemies why people resist new technologies New York NY Oxford University Press