Let's face it - this generation's social skills have been retarded by the internet

[Nieroshai]

Speaking to people on the internet counts as socialising. Making your point, invalid.

Point being, socializing does not always equate to good social skills. Does a polite individual troll? Inherently, no. Does a socially-capable individual stand up in the midddle of a thread to ***** and moan about how everyone on the forum is a dick? These are common occurrences on the internet, yet taboo in real life. If I wasn't sleepy right now, I'd give more examples. But there you go, Anonymous gets away with more socially-retarded stuff on the web than in real life. Socializing is not always meaningful socializing. Right now for all I care I'm just talking to a program (not really but for example).
And those are my two cents, hope I helped or if not, that I didn't do any damage. 'Night.
[yawn]

[crashes on desk]

 

[Brawndo]

I agree with all of that quite strongly, and I've worked in a store that attracts mostly people aged 11-22 and it's very obvious in that age-group actually.

Speaking to people on the internet counts as socialising. Making your point, invalid.

But it doesn't. So many people now, that have no problem talking to others online, have a really hard time even asking for a bag while shopping. Yes, that's a bit extreme, but you get my point.

It's serious, I've gone to school with a bunch of people just like this. Barely if ever say anything in class, just stay to themselves, because all their friends are online where they can just log off the chat if they feel uncomfortable.

How do you know that the internet is the reason behind what you perceive to be happening?

Do you have an another explanation? What's the main difference between today's teenagers and those in the early 90s and 80s: pervasive and easily affordable electronic communication, whether through the internet or the phone.

 

[Dimensional Vortex]

Uhm wow, sometimes people don't socialize in real life for other reasons. Personally I try not to because it is almost impossible to have an intelligent conversation with another 13 year old, so I often escape to the internet and talk to people of all ages about things, whether it be help with a game, science, a question on something and more. There are more than just that one reason.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Speaking to people on the internet counts as socialising. Making your point, invalid.

Point being, socializing does not always equate to good social skills. Does a polite individual troll? Inherently, no. Does a socially-capable individual stand up in the midddle of a thread to ***** and moan about how everyone on the forum is a dick? These are common occurrences on the internet, yet taboo in real life. If I wasn't sleepy right now, I'd give more examples. But there you go, Anonymous gets away with more socially-retarded stuff on the web than in real life. Socializing is not always meaningful socializing. Right now for all I care I'm just talking to a program (not really but for example).
And those are my two cents, hope I helped or if not, that I didn't do any damage. 'Night.
[yawn]

[crashes on desk]

While I appreciate your point, you'll see in my later posts I elaborated a bit saying that the stereotype of shy people because of their use the internet for talking to people is almost completely unfounded.

 

[Nieroshai]

I agree with all of that quite strongly, and I've worked in a store that attracts mostly people aged 11-22 and it's very obvious in that age-group actually.

Speaking to people on the internet counts as socialising. Making your point, invalid.

But it doesn't. So many people now, that have no problem talking to others online, have a really hard time even asking for a bag while shopping. Yes, that's a bit extreme, but you get my point.

It's serious, I've gone to school with a bunch of people just like this. Barely if ever say anything in class, just stay to themselves, because all their friends are online where they can just log off the chat if they feel uncomfortable.

How do you know that the internet is the reason behind what you perceive to be happening?

In the case of my tween cousin for example, some kids(people?) would rather have a hundred anonymous "friends" online than ten good friends IRL. It's just so easy to log on and type away. Odds are, you'll never come face to face with that person, and so have nothing to fear from offending them since you can just leave the forum. IRL, though, you may have to see that person every day at work or school, so you don't want to get on their bad side.

 

[Guffe]

I do both. Socializing here and getting quoted, discussing about interesting and less interesting stuff. Just like I do in the market, at my work place, with my friends and in the clubs/discos. Both have their negative and positive sides and it works well together for me.
Also as said above people have a lot easier ways just "quoting" others on facebook telling people when something is happening instead of wasting time and money calling everyone one at a time.
I also understand your point with "overusing" these sorts of medium/media but I am not too concerned about it with my generation (20 now) but maybe the one that comes after that since you see 6-year-old people running around with their laptops and Iphones and Whatnot. But maybe there will be something that changes and all this and a sort of "social revolution" will take place sometime and people start dismissing social networks.
Dang I wrote down ideas that just poured into my mind -.-. But maybe... ^^

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

Speaking to people on the internet counts as socialising. Making your point, invalid.

He's talking about withdrawing from "person to person" social contact in favor of online socializing. He never said one was more or less social than the other.

And shame on you for not spelling "socializing" correctly ....unless you're drunk right now, in which case, I not only forgive you but envy you

No, I spelt socialising correctly. You are American I presume?

You presume correctly, mate! It's almost 2:30am where I'm at. How are things in your hemisphere where they spell things with an 's' and provide we Americans with charming stereotypes, and numerous 80s pop-culture references?

Well, Australia is doing pretty good. It was fun watching our entire country ignore Oprah, certainly.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

I value socializing both online and off. I will always go hang out with a person offline over just posting on Facebook or chatting on Skype. That said, I prefer indirect conversations to waiting till the next time I see a person. However, I feel that social interactions offline will never be "retarded" by the internet.

I don't foresee a dark age in the near future just because of people communicating indirectly. I'm pretty sure that this "problem" was brought up back when telephones were introduced.

If anything is going to bring a dark age, its going to be WW III.

 

[smithy_2045]

How do you know that the internet is the reason behind what you perceive to be happening?

Do you have an another explanation? What's the main difference between today's teenagers and those in the early 90s and 80s: pervasive and easily affordable electronic communication, whether through the internet or the phone.

My personal experience says those kids would be no more social without the internet. And to think that kids in the 80s and 90s were never socially awkward is laughable.

 

[Erana]

In general? Yes. Many young people have replaced genuine socialization with this shallow "Hi, what's up?" "Lol, nuthin'. U?" stuff.

That being said, Socializating on the internet has, in many cases, been good for me. Not so much forums (They're terrible timesinks, admittedly) but more immediate correspondance, like on the 'Scapist IRC here. I can go there, talk, get people to simultaneous empathetic and objective input while having my mood lifted by various, bizarre pleasantries. Skype has single handedly kept me from being completely alienated by the opposite sex.
...
Wait, let me rephrase that.
I went to a women's college. The last time I was around guys my age frequently was when I was 13. Add in my father making me uncomfortable with males in general, and this is further compounded.
If it weren't for talking with 'Scapist users on skype, I would have no grasp of what young men are like at all. And considering that I'm prolly going off to grad school next fall, it would be good to be able to converse with the many male students I'm going to be around.

And I do think real, human connections can be achieved over the internet. It just takes a whole lot more time to make them.

 

[emechbjm]

Whats wrong with safety. Seems to be that social skills today equates to drinknig at the pub or getting off at the club. I'll take my luchtime coffee breaks and evening forum chats over that stupidity any day.....

 

[Timmey]

I cant see the problem with facebook or using the internet to communicate, surely it has just replaced the slower and less effective methods of non face to face communication such as letters ? As long as its used in conjunction with socialising face to face then there is no real problem.

 

[SadisticPretzel]

You hit the stereotype on the head. Allow me to fill you in on the real reason I spend most of my social time online.

I won't go into details unless someone's curious, but suffice it to say I am not where I live by choice; moving in with this particular friend was the only option I had at the time I found myself roof-over-headless. I grew up in a suburb of Houston. I was used to big cities with lots of diverse people and things to do. Now I live in a SMALL little town where everyone is good little christian Republicans. I, on the other hand, am a Bisexual, Pagan former Soldier who tends to vote Democrat.

I have had to press charges on people for vandalizing my car because I had a Democrat bumper sticker on it. I get the "You're going to hell" lecture at least once a week, because the first thing out of anyone's mouth when you're introduced to them here is "Which church do you go to?" Pretty much the only thing to do in the area is hang out at the (tiny) mall, and heaven forbid I do that when I'm dating another girl. I've watched mall security throw people out because they got up in my face calling me vile names. And I've had people complain to mall security about me, because they didn't want their children seeing two girls holding hands.

Living in my shoes, would YOU spend much time out in the real world when you can instead sit down at your computer, in your own home where nobody will attack you, and talk to people who accept you for who you are?

And yes, I know. The first thing out of everyones' mouths when I go on this rant is "Well why don't you move?" I can't. Can't afford to. It's as simple as that.

 

[Fraught]

yikes, that hurt. I'm sure the irony of calling someone else pedantic is not entirely lost on you....... or maybe it is...

but cheers to Estonia! The newest protectorate of the British empire, as your fervent candor would seem to indicate.

Wow. Yeah, instead of acknowledging your mistake, give me some cock and bull reply about "me being the bad guy", and the "irony of calling someone else pedantic", and mocking me as the "newest protectorate of the British Empire" when you were the one who seemed to had a hard time grasping the concept that there are different English dialects than American English.

 

[goldenheart323]

& here I was expecting the OP to be about kids today growing up as rude, selfish, inconsiderate little snots in part because of all the time they spend online getting to act that way without any consequences. I haven't noticed what the OP mentioned, but I have 2 friends that often text others on their phone when we're hanging out, but they at least have ADD as an excuse.

You're not cool for hating facebook. It's an incredibly useful tool for organising social events, and it's nice having an incredibly easy way to talk to your friends when doing so in real life would be too difficult for whatever reason.

Incidentally, without the internet I would barely socialise at all.

How or when is it ever "too difficult" to contact your friends in a manner where a phone won't work but a PC will? These days, everyone has some form of voice mail. If you want to contact your friends, you can always at least call & leave a message. Who checks their FB account more often than they check their phone for messages? I can understand how facebook helps when organizing parties or events where even acquaintances are welcome, (like when 50 people are invited,) but just friends? Please elaborate.

 

[Fraught]

yikes, that hurt. I'm sure the irony of calling someone else pedantic is not entirely lost on you....... or maybe it is...

but cheers to Estonia! The newest protectorate of the British empire, as your fervent candor would seem to indicate.

Wow. Yeah, instead of acknowledging your mistake, give me some cock and bull reply about "me being the bad guy", and the "irony of calling someone else pedantic", and mocking me as the "newest protectorate of the British Empire" when you were the one who seemed to had a hard time grasping the concept that there are different English dialects than American English.

*hugs* I just can't fight with someone that says "cock and bull". I get completely disarmed by that metaphor... Solidarity brother! In the future though, if you want somebody to merely admit a mistake, don't employ the term pedantic....... it's too damn ironic!!! Oh the Irony!!! Why must irony inspire us mortals to flame each other needlessly?

Solidarity brother? What is that even supposed to mean, coming after the previous sentence?

And besides, you're twice the pedant I am because you're actually concerned with me being a pedant due to the irony that my post displayed, instead of just sucking up to your error.

Ha!