Research Paper Introduction

The rise of social media has had an incredible impact on society already. The way we communicate, interact, and share information with friends, family, and the general public is vastly different than just ten years ago. Sherry Turkle, in her essay “Selections from Alone Together”, explores the idea that our dependency and attachment to technology forges false connections and are an inauthentic replacement for true human interaction. While initially, the benefits of technology may seem largely positive, as we now have the ability to talk to anyone and influence the ideas of others with a few taps on a cell phone with text messages or posts on Facebook or comments on Instagram, larger implications exist that ultimately harm the character of the person. The large range of influence that us humans have on each other can be explained by Barbara Fredrickson in her essay, “Selections From Love 2.0”, as the biological connections we make with one another through love causes a mirroring and conformation of thoughts and beliefs. An unforeseen negative effect on technology is the difference in the way a person represents him/herself through this medium. In many cases, the personality of the person in reality differs from the personality presented on social media. This difference can be explained by Michelle Carter in “Me, My Self, And I(T): Conceptualizing Information Technology Identity And Its Implications” with the term “IT identity” as “the extent to which an individual views use of an IT as integral to his or her sense of self” (Carter 932). Jean Twenge’s essay “An Army of One: Me” can be used to explain how inflation of desire for a strong IT identity tends to be centered on the individual, causing people to have a very high self-worth of themselves. In this technologically advanced world where we are all alone together, Robert Thurman in his essay “Wisdom” offers a remedy to remove us from this abyss. When used properly, technology offers limitless opportunities, such as developing a personal brand and a respectable image online, keeping in touch and maintaining lasting friendships, and sharing meaningful experiences. Since the interactions people engage with on social media and through technology changes their identities with the influence of IT identity as they conform to social standards, and since technology inherently makes us more self-absorbed and individualistic, people must rebalance and reconnect with their real environment to recover their original identity.