The Social Norm

At one point in our lives we had rules like be home when the street lights come on because not many people had cell phones. When people started to get cell phones, we began to be able to reach people when they were not at their house anymore. This started the generation of cell phones. All of the sudden everyone had a cell phone and if you didn't have one that was weird. Now if you don't have a smart phone, people wonder how you survive.

These expectations become the new "social norm." It is safe to say that most people have a Facebook nowadays and that is now how they share pictures with someone. Uploading pictures to a media site becomes more normal then sending family and friends pictures in the mail. Being social has a different meaning now then it did then. We used to have to talk to people in person to interact with them and now we are able to send instant text messages to them without even speaking.

Along with text messages came the "emoji." Now not only can you tell them about your day but now you can tell them how you're feeling as well.  Now it is normal to add emojis to a text message and they are expected to know how you're feeling.

With all the technological advances society has come up with, we never have to talk to people in person. When you ride an elevator, most people will sit on there phones so they don't have to have any sort of social interaction. The social norm is to not meet up and hangout with people now but to text people without having to leave your bed.

The social norm is to basically not be social at all. We refer to the internet as social media when in all reality the only social aspect to it is virtually sharing everything with your followers. People now meet loved ones on social media websites instead of going out and meeting people. It becomes more and more normal to isolate yourself from the outside world unless its on social media sites. People don't have to go out and meet new people.

The latest social norm is binge watching Netflix. This I am most definitely guilty of. I will spend hours watching Grey's Anatomy and not even wish to speak to people. This isolates you from the rest of society while keeping you entertained. Being isolated from society can sometimes be a good thing but when you are constantly avoiding social contact, it can limit your knowledge of others.

By this I mean that you will never know someone's opinion which can limit your knowledge on certain subjects. Maybe you're thinking you should vote for this person for president but you don't know that much about them and if you're not socializing with others you can't possibly know anymore then you read.

Social interaction is important for society because even though you see someones profile, you can never see who they really are.