Do you feel more isolated or more connected through technology?

Do you feel more isolated or more connected through technology? You probably use various social networking systems to keep in touch with other humans. In the final analysis, do you feel more or less lonely after being really active on a site like say Facebook or Twitter or *******?

More connected for me. I recently made a face-book page and within 2 weeks caught up with several people that I lost contact with but were important to me. The reconnection was good as I got to see they were all doing well. Its always good to know your friends are doing well. If they weren't doing well it would give me the opportunity to get them back on their feet.

No twitt-face accounts but still more connected through technology of course. Ah feel that awesome isolation! :thumb:

def more conected. Im constantly on facebook and *******

A little of both. I spend a few hours a day on the computer checking my accounts, shooting the shit with people, reading the news, watching tv, stumbling, etc. By the time I've had enough I realize that hours have gone by and there was probably something more productive I could/should have been doing.

more connected. now you can keep in touch with friends and family you don't really like with the minimal effort and commitment

I originally got on those sites mostly for the events function. I do feel connected when there is an active animal rescue or meet people who feel a passion for a shared interest. The way I got on is a mixed blessing though: I still use email and private lists for personal communique. I don't control everyone who was interested in an event. As such, I also see a lot of silliness. People can be hostile and have expectations for future actions. So: Ambivalence.

OEC

Connected. I'm autistic, which among other things means that I respond to information rather than people. I don't really bond either way, but the detailed way in which I think about the world benefits from the ability to take my time over a sentence and edit it before sharing the whole thing.

IRL I mostly keep my mouth shut and look pretty, since communicating anything worth the effort is often impossible within the confines of conversation.

i feel both more connected and isolated, if that makes any sense. there is more distance between my friends and i - both physically and emotionally - now that i mostly just socialize with them online. i miss out on meeting up with them and hanging out, and the physicality of face-to-face contact that goes along with it. i like being affectionate, even with my fully platonic male friends. a good hug goes a long way. and i'd kill for something more intimate and affectionate from my female friends, having been single for a while now, even if it is just a friendly kiss on the cheek or being able to get comfy on the couch next to a warm body.

but, one issue that was brought up in a recent Scientific American Mind article was the impact that a lack of quality alone time was having as a result of the ubiquity of social networking sites.

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Originally Posted by Raza

Connected. I'm autistic, which among other things means that I respond to information rather than people. I don't really bond either way, but the detailed way in which I think about the world benefits from the ability to take my time over a sentence and edit it before sharing the whole thing.

IRL I mostly keep my mouth shut and look pretty, since communicating anything worth the effort is often impossible within the confines of conversation.

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Interesting. I have an auditory processing issue (cerebral vestibular damage). As such, I process the written word better. I have to use compensatory methods in oral conversation. It works better in terms of books than online communique though imo. I don't know that connected or isolated would be applicable.

OEC