In a documentary called "Social Studies" a teen age boy says "it is up to us to figure out how to still be people." on the topic of the impact of social media.
I have to disagree with this boy. We already are people, so we don't have to figure out how to still be people. The reason why we don't act like people online because of "online disinhibition". The human brain when interacting with each other, whether you realize it or not you do this too, you recognize how someone is feeling, not just by words, by facial expressions, body language, and by the sound of the voice.
Thus being online, you cant hear the other persons voice or read their facial expressions and body language you'd subconsciously take into account. Yes, there is emojis, question marks, exclamation points etc., but that doesn't convey tone, (I'm pretty sure this has happened to some, where you send a light-hearted message and the other person doesn't view it as a light-hearted joke, comment etc.) it can convey expression. That's why you get 'trolls' online, they don't know how you are feeling or know you at all. They don't get the emotional connection they would if they were face to face with you.
In short, they are still people it's just normal psychology to feel this disconnection that we have dubbed "online disinhibition".
Posted in response to the challenge SM-Impact.
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