Nathan Guman
CYSE 201S Cyber Security and Social Science
Week 9 Journal Entry
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Complete the Social Media Disorder scale. How did you score? What do you think about the items in the scale? Why do you think that different patterns are found across the world?
I scored a 0 on the scale. Social media use worldwide has exploded in the last two decades. Humans are social creatures and it is in community humanity has thrived. From tribal groups to fiefdoms and kingdoms, to nation states humanity has always thrived when connected to each other in common purpose. With the advent of digital connection allowing for billions of interactions, this next step forward is bound to have new and poorly understood consequences. One of those is social media disorder. By its very design, the digital world does not allow for physical interaction and can therefore provide a less risky way to connect with other people. Less meaningful but possibility more impactful for some people. For some, it can feel safer to have a ten-thousand followers then 10 close friends. Different cultures have different ways of connecting and viewing community. In the west and in America in particularly, we have never been more connected digitally and yet loneliness is at all highs. Social media can connect us while isolating us at the same time.