Why current social technologies might be keeping us from truly connecting • Hacker News Board

Re: Why current social technologies might be keeping us from truly connecting

#21

Post by fragmede » Wed, Jul 31, 2013, 10:29 PM UTC

grimtrigger wrote: post #6

I don't use social networks (unless you consider HN & reddit) but I think this article is way off the mark. This is especially obvious in immigrant communities where families in different countries exchange photos through facebook. My mom grew up in a small village in India and now talks to her elementary school friend online... thats pretty cool! The author's argument seems to be "facebook is not a substitute for re…

HN and Reddit are prime examples of a social network - and one that could only exist due to our technology. They're also a prime example of technology degrading connection to another human. Consider if we were having this conversation in person, there'd be more "real social interaction", and I'd be forced to note you as an individual, probably recognize if I met you again, and you'd be more to me than an 11 character username that doesn't consider HN and Reddit social networks, for better or worse.

Due to the limited format here, I don't even know if I've 'met' you before, nor if we have 'friends' in common - to jog my memory of where we may have met before, whereas Facebook at least gives me mutual friends.

If you're ever in a room and everyone is checking Facebook on their cellphone, then Facebook has substituted for real social interaction.

Re: Why current social technologies might be keeping us from truly connecting

#22

Post by katbyte » Wed, Jul 31, 2013, 11:41 PM UTC

fragmede wrote: post #21

grimtrigger wrote: post #6

I don't use social networks (unless you consider HN & reddit) but I think this article is way off the mark. This is especially obvious in immigrant communities where families in different countries exchange photos through facebook. My mom grew up in a small village in India and now talks to her elementary school friend online... thats pretty cool! The author's argument seems to be "facebook is not a substitute for re…

HN and Reddit are prime examples of a social network - and one that could only exist due to our technology. They're also a prime example of technology degrading connection to another human. Consider if we were having this conversation in person, there'd be more "real social interaction", and I'd be forced to note you as an individual, probably recognize if I met you again, and you'd be more to me than an 11 character…

>If you're ever in a room and everyone is checking Facebook on their cellphone

I don't know how many times i've seen people just constantly checking FB, twitter, etc in social situations instead of you know, actually socializing-_-

Re: Why current social technologies might be keeping us from truly connecting

#23

Post by unimpressive » Wed, Jul 31, 2013, 11:53 PM UTC

fragmede wrote: post #21

grimtrigger wrote: post #6

I don't use social networks (unless you consider HN & reddit) but I think this article is way off the mark. This is especially obvious in immigrant communities where families in different countries exchange photos through facebook. My mom grew up in a small village in India and now talks to her elementary school friend online... thats pretty cool! The author's argument seems to be "facebook is not a substitute for re…

HN and Reddit are prime examples of a social network - and one that could only exist due to our technology. They're also a prime example of technology degrading connection to another human. Consider if we were having this conversation in person, there'd be more "real social interaction", and I'd be forced to note you as an individual, probably recognize if I met you again, and you'd be more to me than an 11 character…

>Consider if we were having this conversation in person, there'd be more "real social interaction", and I'd be forced to note you as an individual, probably recognize if I met you again, and you'd be more to me than an 11 character username that doesn't consider HN and Reddit social networks, for better or worse.

Let's keep things in perspective here. If it weren't for HN, you and the parent probably would have never met.

I don't see how you can degrade a connection that otherwise wouldn't exist.

Re: Why current social technologies might be keeping us from truly connecting

#24

Post by thibauts » Thu, Aug 01, 2013, 1:52 AM UTC

dschleef wrote: post #8

This link is an artificial construct designed to provide the superficial result of a real article.

I once thought it was at hackers' core to look behind the appearances. Core values and myths are long gone, buried into memory traces of hidden places that never met the instant share button.

Re: Why current social technologies might be keeping us from truly connecting

#25

Post by fragmede » Thu, Aug 01, 2013, 2:35 AM UTC

unimpressive wrote: post #23

fragmede wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

HN and Reddit are prime examples of a social network - and one that could only exist due to our technology. They're also a prime example of technology degrading connection to another human. Consider if we were having this conversation in person, there'd be more "real social interaction", and I'd be forced to note you as an individual, probably recognize if I met you again, and you'd be more to me than an 11 character…

>Consider if we were having this conversation in person, there'd be more "real social interaction", and I'd be forced to note you as an individual, probably recognize if I met you again, and you'd be more to me than an 11 character username that doesn't consider HN and Reddit social networks, for better or worse. Let's keep things in perspective here. If it weren't for HN, you and the parent probably would have never…

> If it weren't for HN, you and the parent probably would have never met.

Absolutely, and I admit as much in the first sentence!

Degrade was the wrong word to use, but my point is bad thing about technology is that I have no connection to grimtrigger, just a reaction to what was written. Of course, that's also the beautiful thing about technology - it's about the message, not the messenger.

So while the article's analogy was a poor opening, I think the article is spot on, in contrast to grimtrigger. Pre-internet people were communicated with the long lost art of letter writing, and while latency was high, depth of communication was often superior.