When Do Social Interactions Become Too Much? (Response to Hector Carral)

We’ve all heard phrases like “Get off your computer and interact with the world” and “you spend too much time on your phone!”  In a media driven world, we have seen an increase in digital social interactions and some could say less “real” interactions.  Is spending a lot of time on your digital device, communicating with others such a bad thing?  Hector Carral’s article basically says that we should be able to choose whom we interact with and that we don't really need to interact with other around us if we don't want to.  I would have to agree with this, but also disagree.  Technology advances us in so many aspects, but it also restricts us.  It is like the saying, “too much of anything is bad for you.”

Beginning with the supporting side, I’d like to start off by pointing out that social media interactions have dramatically globalized the world, making is easier to communicate with others on the other side of the world, rather than having to pay a lot of money or an overseas call or sending snail mail.  You are able to keep in contact with family members and long lost friends.  In this aspect, it is helping you keep relationships by continuous interactions.  Why should you have to start awkward small talk with someone you don’t know because you are bored, instead of having a real good conversation with your group chat?  You are the one that picks who you interact with and who you do not choose to speak with.  Why should you listen to other people when they tell you that interacting with strangers is something you should assimilate to?  If you are comfortable interacting with anybody you want, you should be able to without judgment and disapproval from others.

On the other side of the spectrum, focusing on your social media interactions and not on real interactions is an unhealthy thing.  You spend hours looking at your screens, which are damaging to your eyes and shutting out the rest of the world.  You are choosing to ignore the rest of the world, which leads to missed opportunities for love, friendships, and new beginnings.  You are so absorbed into the digital world that you forget what reality is really like.  You need social skills to survive and being online diminishes the skills you have or decreases the chances you have in building them.  Social media interactions can only express so much emotion, but it is you that can show empathy, excitement, sarcasm, happiness, and vulnerability.  Times New Roman can only do so much for you.

            Hector Carral goes on to point out some good points, but fails really to see the total picture and the long-term effects that come with only communicating digitally.  I feel as if it is not completely a bad thing to be on your phone interacting with others and ignoring everyone else, but there needs to be a middle ground.  There are some times where it is acceptable, but we really need to look for opportunities in reality to get off our phones and build life experiences.