The world is digitally booming, and many advancements have touched base with convenience being brought to human life. However the question that pops- is the boom of technology ushering the doom of human interactions and conversations?
Who needs face-to-face conversations today when a person can have heart-to-heart messages on the cyberspace with an autocorrect?
Imagine entering a room full of people, only to find them engrossed, and engaging with the glossy screens full of dopamine releasing apps, sites, games. Because, earlier it used to be, that if, one stared at someone too long, it would be considered awkward right? But now one can spend hours staring at one another’s profile without anyone knowing…thanks, cyberspace!
From the view of cyberpsychology, we can see how technology is becoming the comfort factor for individuals, and a lot of them prefer virtual interaction, rather than going through the trouble of interacting in real life settings. Even for emotional and psychological needs of love, communication and joy, people prefer to engage online than offline.
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Unfortunately this is the scenario for most individuals in the current status quo, wherein the phones are the forces symbolising, the end of conversations.
It is surprising to observe, in a world like today where all are connected through one online platform or another, there are more netizens than ever to exist, and the world has never been so closely knit, if it had not been for technology! Yet many feel a sense of isolation, and a strange disconnect.
Quoting the DataReportal, published on February 21, 2024, reported “India was home to 462.0 million social media users in January 2024, equating to 32.2 percent of the total population.”
This only goes to show that, with the rise of cyberspace as a primary medium of communication, entertainment as well as a source of knowledge, the vital aspects of human interplay are being replaced with screen mediated exchange and engagement.
This is compromising not only genuine connections and bonds people share with one another, but also putting a deterrence over the social ability of individuals to build a bond through communicating in the offline world.
Saakshar Duggal, 26, AI Law Expert based in Delhi, says, “It’s ever since the Covid 19 pandemic we are more involved on the internet than ever before. Mostly for the reason is during this time, we were all stuck in the lockdown, and the only refuge as well as the mode of communication we could resort to was the cyberspace. As a result here we are today living in a technologically dependent time.
Saakshar further speaks about the nature of the virtual world. “Today it’s all about the comfort zone we live in, we are much more at ease to be digitally present than physically. Moreover, the nature of the cyberspace is such that it is addictive, and more convenient. It lures us to its extensive usage, and it’s especially impacting adolescents.”
In fact, individuals prefer to be on their devices rather initiating a conversation with the person sitting in front, and the same can be seen by the staggering amount of time that individuals spend online. Perhaps this is a result of convenience, and choice being just a few clicks away.
Quoting India Today, published on October 16, 2023, reported, “A recent national survey in India indicates that 60 per cent of youngsters aged 9 to 17 spend more than three hours daily on social media or gaming platforms.”
However the urge to be more online than offline is set to put people to face the deranging effects on their physical and mental health. Increasing screentimes certainly leading to physical health issues like poor posture, eye strain, and sleep disturbances. Even increased rates of anxiety, depression, and other issues, especially among younger individuals.
This is why the field of cyberpsychology becomes extremely valuable, to decode how phenomenon like these impact the human mind and behaviour, also helping in understanding
Whether a form of expression, a media or entertainment, the use of cyberspace is subjective to each person. However, a prominent aspect of it lies in its potential and capability of being a medium to connect virtually, easily and without any hassles of interacting with effort. But it is truly bringing the doom to face to face conversations and taking away the essence of vibing and socializing in the offline world, as if we have forgotten our roots.
