toldailytopic: Are social media and electronics undermining mankind's morality?

NarrowWay

Awww, shucks!
LIFETIME MEMBER
Has the widespread growth in access to social media sites contributed to the demoralization of mankind in general?
 

Coffee is King

New member
http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2011/11/a-texting-bride-guess-thats-her-something-new.html Here's one possible example of bad behavior when it comes to "being connected".

That's ridiculous. I've seen people texting in church during the middle of the sermons as well. I do like this comment on that page though.

My question is, if she's getting married, all her friends and family are probably in attendance--who could she possibly be texting that was more important than her husband on their wedding day? hmmmm the plot thickens.

As to the question in general, yes, we are becoming so caught up with the latest and greatest gizmos and gadgets that we can no longer be called "the microwave society", as microwaves aren't fast enough anymore.
 

MrRadish

New member
I don't think the internet has particularly changed people or their morality, it's just provided several channels where people can act in an anonymous or semi-anonymous manner, which obviously tends to shield them from the consequences of their actions - thus maybe allowing them to act in a less moral or at least less responsible way.

As for other electronics - not really. Increased consumerism might have done, but the items themselves aren't to blame.
 

MrRadish

New member
I think it's also done a lot to mobilise people into doing good deeds, too. Look at the huge Open Source movement, where people put hours and hours of their time into creating useful and universally available products for no pay, or the big online campaigns that people have been able to participate in without taking days off work to go to a protest, for instance.

Like almost all things, the media themselves are neutral, and people use them in good or bad ways depending on their needs and their character.
 

Quincy

New member
Things like Facebook are cited as being a contributor to actions like adultery but those same people would probably have done it anyways. Social media is just putting it all in writing when before it wasn't.
 

Ted L Glines

New member
I would say it has made people more rude.

Not really. What you say on Facebook, or here on TOL, you would have said face-to-face if you could have gotten away with it. Social media is simply our own reality without the false masque of "morality" we wear in public. "Rude" is simply our truth with the facade of niceness removed. Most of the time. There are always those who use the social media to ramp up their own supremacy illusions; these people were always rude and they use the social media as an amplifier. Cheer up; they will die someday and be stabilized in the great equality of worms :)
 

Khazm

New member
I think it has in someways, this coming from someone who uses facebook for over 2 hours each day (not actively). It has definitely become a time-waster for people and in a way I believe it has altered how we communicate, it's not as efficient.
 

Sherman

I identify as a Christian
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Technology in itself is morally neutral. Place it in the hands of a culture that already has poor morals th[FONT=verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucida grande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif]e[/FONT]n it can exacerbate the situation. It affords them more creative means of seeking out adulterous relationships or viewing porn.

On the other side of the coin, place the technology on the hands of missionaries or a ministry and it can be used for good.

TOL and Bob Enyart Live are an examples of technology being used for good. A porn website or a White Supremacist's site would be examples of it being used for bad.
 

Persephone66

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Not really. What you say on Facebook, or here on TOL, you would have said face-to-face if you could have gotten away with it. Social media is simply our own reality without the false masque of "morality" we wear in public. "Rude" is simply our truth with the facade of niceness removed. Most of the time. There are always those who use the social media to ramp up their own supremacy illusions; these people were always rude and they use the social media as an amplifier. Cheer up; they will die someday and be stabilized in the great equality of worms :)

There is that, I was also thinking about something I see all too often at work and other places as well - people too tied up in what ever is going on with their phone that they cannot bring themselves to interact with people around them. You know how annoying it is when you are working at a hotel desk and someone walks up to it more focused on their phone? And then there's the people that prefer texting over any other form of communication. I had a friend that I no longer communicate with because I don't have a cell phone and therefore do not text.
 
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