Social Networking under Attack

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'The Guardian' recently ran an interesting article about a current trend of criticism of social networking technologies (e.g. websites such as Twitter and Facebook). Read the article here

The arguments include claims that social networking makes us lazier, less able to digest large quantities of information, and less human. An example: we go into a cafe and see people sitting at their laptops or tapping away on their mobile devices, whilst not actually talking to the people around them. So in effect, ignoring the real people around them, and focusing instead on communicating with others through electronic devices.

Those who disagree with these arguments state that social networking actually increases communication and helps to bridge geographical distances. They also argue that it is simply not true that people used to chat with those around them more before these new technologies existed.

So the question is: did people really used to chat to each other more (on buses and in cafes) than they do today? And are we now less sociable in public because we're all too busy using our mobile phones instead? As I remember it, people used to read books and newspapers on buses and trains. They didn't engage in more conversation with strangers than they do today. This was also true in cafes.

What do you think?

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