If there is a phenomenon that seems to have its days numbered, it is social isolation, whether of a group in relation to others around him, be it the individual isolation of a person from the community, society or culture in which he is inserted. But why would it disappear? The answer to this question permeates the development of means of communication and information, such as the internet, the which, at the end of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st century, have promoted greater contact between all points and peoples of the planet. We are considered antipodes of the Japanese (as we would be on the opposite side of the globe from Japan), but, even so, news of tsunami and tidal waves reached Brazil (and the rest of the world) within minutes of the events. This was only possible thanks to new technologies and media that ended up 'reducing distances'.
But what, then, more specifically, about personal relationships in this virtual world? With the advent of the internet, the forms of communication and interaction underwent an important revolution. The old paper letters and phone calls, although they still exist, have lost space for the world of chat rooms, instant text messages, emails, plus multiple networks social. Facebook and Orkut are good examples of these new types of relationships mediated by the computer, the internet, technology. In fact, the possibility of connecting with a large number of people, added to the speed at which communication and information reach each person, are all attractions of these new technologies. Every day, the number of connected people and users of these spaces grows, to which they dedicate part considerable time for virtual interaction, in the search for friendships, love relationships, jobs, among others. purposes.
What are the consequences for human life? Are these relationships for real? Are they effective and affective in fact? Are they reliable? These are questions that are not intended to be answered here, but rather to invite reflection. Psychologist and sociologist Sherry Turkle defends in her work that because of this virtualization of relationships individuals would be losing the ability to deal with the complexities of relationships human beings. More specifically, she proposes that despite the fact that we think we are together and the feeling of company, we are actually alone. Therefore, this type of virtual relationship has weaknesses from the point of view of life and the meaning of human relationships in fact.
Considering that people can build personalities and identities that are not always consistent with reality, relationships mediated by the internet can be a decoy, suggesting that virtual proximities are not necessarily as effective as real. At a time when individualism is valued as the meaning of life, and written communication mediated by the computer at the expense of direct conversation – eye to eye – there is a risk of building fragile relationships due to the lack of human presence.
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The role that social networks and other forms of communication through technologies play in shaping society cannot be denied. They are important not only for communication, but for the exchange of information and knowledge (just think about the amount of data and knowledge that students and researchers around the world can access), in addition to being fundamental with regard to world of economy, work, service provision, among others (even medical interventions are made by the network in time real).
What must be considered is that behind the discourse of modern life and the benefits of technology (or at least behind the charm that technology exerts) hide side effects that, in fact, can represent setbacks in the sense of valuing what makes us human when it comes to relationships personal. Human relationships require a kind of attention that, as Sherry Turkle points out, cannot do without human attention or real presence.
Thus, returning to the issue of isolation present at the beginning of this brief text, if on the one hand this phenomenon seems to be in extinction (isolation in the sense of lack of knowledge or alienation of the events around a group or individual), from the point of view of the subjects' individual lives and social relationships, it becomes very present. Isolation would be implicit, camouflaged by the feeling of sharing, of company, both created by the virtual world. Therefore, we can suffer from loneliness or an existential emptiness even if they are full of friends on virtual networks. As experts point out, a possible solution would not be disconnecting, but rather not replacing real life with a virtual one.
Paulo Silvino Ribeiro
Brazil School Collaborator
Bachelor in Social Sciences from UNICAMP - State University of Campinas
Master in Sociology from UNESP - São Paulo State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho"
Doctoral Student in Sociology at UNICAMP - State University of Campinas
