#3 Technology and Social Interaction

Technology makes social interaction a potential constant. Before this technology evolved, true alone time existed. Today, even when you are alone, you can see what your friends are doing, be in contact with the push of a button, and before you know it you are not really alone. I think it has the potential to make us devalue personal face-to-face reactions. At the same time, when I think about memories of friends, the most important and meaningful ones do not come from text conversations or facebook wall posts. They come from the spontaneity of real life interactions complete with body language, awkward silences, and the unpredictability.

I do think there is a lot to be said about the creation of an online community. For people with very specific or unique interests, technology makes it easier for them to find people who also have the same interests, making them feel less alone and more understood. For someone who enjoys football, they have an already readily available network of potential friends with a similar interest. But for someone who has very specialized interests, or who doesn’t live in a very diverse or accepting geographical area, these tools are absolutely invaluable to helping them find their niche. Fan sites and virtual realities assume the same purpose, and I think usage of these networks is fine as long as one doesn’t allow their virtual reality to become more important than real life.

Dating sites are one of the most fascinating aspects of the intersection between social interaction and technology for me personally. Just looking at the sheer number of how many couples meet online and through dating sites is amazing. I definitely am interested to see if these relationships are more successful or last longer than traditional couples but only time will reveal that data. The reason that these relationships work is because they merge their online match up into real life right away. I think that you cannot really know someone until you interact in real life. It is very easy to put on a fake persona when communicating online or long distance through phone calls and texting. I do not believe that having a solely online relationship is sustainable or healthy. Integrating a romantic partner into your life requires them to know your friends, and family, and that is very hard to achieve through purely online relationships.

I think as far as society creating more public squares in real life as opposed to message boards and online communities, I don’t foresee that strategy being too successful. Online communities allow quiet and shy people the chance to express their opinions. How well of a public speaker you are, how attractive, how many friends you have in the audience is not so much an issue online as it is in real life and by reverting back to traditional methods, the ideas of those quiet people become silenced.

Overall, I believe that there are many positive outcomes on social interaction due to technology. I think that these can be used as tools to expand relationships and help to preserve old relationships. I do feel that there are dangers associated with losing yourself in the online world and disconnecting from the real world. Like all things in life, finding a healthy balance is key.

#1 My Media Consumption

For 5 days (three weekdays, and two weekend days) I logged my time spent consuming media. Here are the facts:

DAY 1: Wednesday

TV : TOTAL: 1.5 HOURS

1.5 Hours OnDemand entertainment shows

Radio: TOTAL: 15 MINUTES

15 minutes of radio – music in the car

Computer: TOTAL: ABOUT 4.5 HOURS

Checking e-mail: periodically throughout the day: 30 minutes

Facebook: 1 hour

Online News Articles: 30 Minutes

Entertainment: YouTube videos: 10 minutes

Homework related: 2 hours

Phone: TOTAL: 35 MINUTES

Texting: 20 minutes

Voice calls: 5 minutes

E-mail: 5 minutes

Games/Apps: 5 minutes

Books: TOTAL: 1 HOUR

For class: 1 hour

DAY 2: Thursday

TV : TOTAL: 0 HOURS

Radio: TOTAL: 5 MINUTES

5 minutes of radio – music in the car

Computer: TOTAL: ABOUT 2 HOURS

Checking e-mail: periodically throughout the day: 20 minutes

Facebook: 45 minutes

Online News Articles: 0 Minutes

Entertainment: YouTube videos: 0 minutes

Homework related: 1 hour

Phone: TOTAL: 25 MINUTES

Texting: 15 minutes

Voice calls: 5 minutes

E-mail: 5 minutes

Games/Apps: 0 minutes

Books: TOTAL: 0 minutes (sorry professors, it’s cinco de mayo!)

DAY 3: Friday

TV : TOTAL: 0 HOURS

Radio: TOTAL: 10 MINUTES

10 minutes of music in the car

Computer: TOTAL: ABOUT 5 HOURS

Checking e-mail: periodically throughout the day: 30 minutes

Facebook: 45 minutes

Online News Articles: 30 Minutes

Entertainment: YouTube videos: 10 minutes

Homework related: 2 hours

Phone: TOTAL: 35 MINUTES

Texting: 20 minutes

Voice calls: 5 minutes

E-mail: 5 minutes

Games/Apps: 5 minutes

Books: TOTAL: 0 Minutes

DAY 4: Saturday

TV : TOTAL: 2.5 HOURS

Watched movies with friends

Radio: TOTAL: 0 MINUTES

Computer: TOTAL: 15 ABOUT MINUTES

Checking e-mail: periodically throughout the day: 5 minutes

Facebook: 10 minutes

Online News Articles: 0 Minutes

Entertainment: YouTube videos: 0 minutes

Homework related: 0 hours

Phone: TOTAL: 20 MINUTES

Texting: 10 minutes

Voice calls: 5 minutes

E-mail: 5 minutes

Games/Apps: 0 minutes

Books: TOTAL: 0 MINUTES

DAY 5: Sunday

TV : TOTAL: 2 HOURS

Watched TV with friends while doing homework

Radio: TOTAL: 5 MINUTES

5 minutes of radio – music in the car

Computer: TOTAL: ABOUT 5 HOURS

Checking e-mail: periodically throughout the day: 30 minutes

Facebook: 1 hour

Online News Articles: 30 Minutes

Entertainment: YouTube videos: 0 minutes

Homework related: 3 hours

Phone: TOTAL: 30 MINUTES

Texting: 15 minutes

Voice calls: 10 minutes

E-mail: 5 minutes

Games/Apps: 0 minutes

Books: TOTAL: 45 MINUTES

For class: 45 Minutes

My social location definitely determined my media usage. As you can probably easily see from the data above, my media intake changed drastically on the weekend compared to the weekdays. This is because during the weekend I spent more time out of the house with friends, going places, and simply just hanging out with others. The only times I ever watched TV was with friends. In addition, when I was with friends, my need for facebook was not apparent, which definitely makes more sense. As a social person, when I am alone and feel the desire for social contact, I turn to facebook. However, when I am surrounded by friends, that need is fulfilled. In addition, most of my time spent on my computer was for homework, and while doing homework facebook was always open, and I would check it periodically. I think that my media use is typical for other people my age. I think my generation texts more than we talk on the phone generally, probably because it is easier for us to multitask while texting than on the phone. I think that this says something about society and the desire for American's to be constantly connected but also being highly productive and efficient. I think that by looking at my media usage, one can infer that I am social but also spend my time alone working on schoolwork. This week was pretty representative of a typical week, which usually contains busy weeks focused on school weeks, and weekends spent going out and having fun (until Sunday!).

Would You Still Be Around?

My first post on technology and health focused on just a couple health risks associated with technology usage. However, as an avid optimist and rational thinker, it would be absurd to neglect the positive health outcomes associated with technology. By simply looking at average life span expectancies over the last few hundred years, you can see we are living much longer. But why?

One could argue on behalf of evolution – that the current humans are more resilient, stronger, better adapted. The truth is, technological advancements are keeping us alive longer. This is due to better prevention methods such as screening abilities, medicines, and surgical procedures, as well as prolonging the lifespan by delaying the effects of terminal diseases.

ABC news published a list of their top 10 advances that have changed the world. I thought this article was extremely interesting since we take most of these advances for granted. I like to play the fun game I call “Would I still be here if _____ didn’t exist?”. The truth is, there is a high chance I wouldn’t have made it the 21 years I have without some of these health technologies, so I thought I would share them and give some insight into their consequences.

1. Vaccines

2. Surgical Anesthetic and Antisepsis

3. Clean Water and Improved Sanitation

4. Antibiotics and Antivirals

5. Birth Control Pills

6. Improvements in Heart Surgery and Cardiac Care

7. Randomized Controlled Trials

8. Radiologic Imaging

9. Advancements in Childbirth

10. Organ Transplantation

You may be thinking that these don’t meet your typical definition of technology. The images that first come to my head when I think about technology are computers, machines, new synthetic materials, etc. However, if you look at each of the above health advancements, they are all possible because of technology. Technology was needed in order to analyze and test medicines and vaccines. Technology is responsible for clean water. It is pretty easy to see how technology is responsible for radiologic imaging and surgical improvements.

If I lived a few thousand years ago, I probably would have died at birth due to sicknesses that were easily treated in 1989. However, if I survived that, oh and all the other diseases that I was vaccinated for as a child, and all the sicknesses I took antibiotics for, I probably would have been eaten by a predator. Seriously, I have really bad eyesight. This isn’t even a problem today with glasses and contacts, but now, there is Lasik. Lasik eye surgery takes minutes, and uses a machine that is so accurate that there are really low risks, and there you go, perfect vision just like that.

While having perfect eyesight is obviously not the most important health improvement to come along, it is a perfect example of how technology can improve our lives in ways previously thought unimaginable. Sure, having easy access to information and constant social contact is convenient and nice, but the technology that really matters the most is often overlooked and taken for granted. If we play the “would I still be around” game a little more often, we can really appreciate what technology can do for us. It is also important to remember that many people across the world still die from things that are easily treatable. We have the technology, but now we need to share it and give others the same chances that we had.

#2 Social Networking and Privacy

The tune is called “marimba” and it wakes me up everyday. My iPhone, which is always found charging perched upon my bedside table, also serves as my convenient alarm clock. If I am having trouble getting up, I will take my phone off the bedside table, since it is always within arms length, and drowsily check any missed texts, upload any new e-mail, check my facebook newsfeed, and lastly check the weather. As you can tell, my cell phone may as well be my firstborn child, and I am an overprotective mother. As I write, I am basically cradling it in my lap as it sleeps and the second it wakes up and cries I will respond. I would say I spoil it, but the reality is it spoils me. It allows me to constantly be in touch with friends and family, and provides me with access to the Internet on a whim. It keeps me constantly up to date on emails and facebook. If I had to estimate, I would guess that I spend about two hours on facebook everyday on average. I was forced to open a twitter account for one of my classes, but did not acquire the desire to continue tweeting and following others. I am not familiar with Foursquare since I'm assuming we are not talking about the schoolyard recess game.

It is difficult for me to decide if social networking is more negative or positive as a whole. I believe that there are certainly both positive and negative outcomes and many unintended consequences of the social networking phenomenon. The positive benefits are nearly innumerable. The ability to feel connected to those who are not geographically near is amazing and really has changed the way we relate to people. It allows you to maintain friendships and become a member of an online community that may not be available to you in your current location. However, I do think the constant connection to the invisible network distracts us from the present. Being constantly wired in somewhere else is a shield to avoid possible real life present human connections. I am picturing examples of social recluses who only communicate with strangers through a keyboard and the less extreme example of people checking their phones to avoid an interaction with someone in front of them. The same tool that connects us may also be alienating us simultaneously. In addition, it is extremely difficult to ever get some of that needed "alone time". Can we really call it alone time when we are checking e-mails, texting, chatting on the computer, and available for anyone to reach us at any given moment?

I am generally pretty conservative when I post something online. My facebook profile is private if someone is not my friend, and I hide my tagged photos from everyone. As a risky move and a major test of parent-child trust, I have allowed both of my parents to become facebook friends. This has been the root of many family debates and has resulted in many threats of “de-friending”. For example, jokes that others have posted on my wall are perfectly acceptable by college student standards but do not transfer over to adults, and I have been frustrated by their reactions. I certainly worry about the privacy of my information. When you use facebook you sign away the rights to your photos and the words you post are all property of facebook. I don’t think many people realize that they are signing over their personal property to a company. In addition, even though my profile is private, all my college photos will be on the Internet forever with no real control over who will be able to see it. There are many embarrassing photos of me on facebook, and while they don’t really bother me now, they may in the future, and they will be on the Internet forever.

Health Problems Caused by Mobile Technology

Mobile technology such as smart phones, laptops, and iPods, were all created to make our lives easier or more enjoyable in some way. But what happens when use of these devices becomes excessive? An article posted by HealthPresenceWorld.com reported on the most recent health problems commonly caused by mobile technology use. These ailments consist of "blackberry thumb", "cell phone elbow", "computer vision syndrome", and "facebook depression". While these do not strike me as serious health epidemics, it is interesting to see how technology aimed at improving our lives comes with unexpected health concerns as well.

There is also talk that extended cell phone usage may cause brain tumors, as well as many other theories related to long term exposure to technological devices. This may be just the beginning of a series of technologically caused health problems and it would be beneficial and socially responsible of technology companies to test these theories and make sure they are producing products that are not detrimental to their consumer's health. The National Cancer Institute cellphones is currently conducting research that examines whether or not cell phone usage is related to cancer. According to their website, cell phones emit radio waves, but research suggests that these waves are too weak to cause tissue heating or damage, and they conclude that there is no strong link between cell phone usage and the two most common types of brain tumors. However, for the small percent of top cell phone users, a small increase in likelihood of glioma brain tumors, but the researchers determined this finding as inconclusive.

As studies are slowly becoming more popular and finding small effects along the way, I wonder what we will find in the future. I also wonder if the discovery of these findings would effect behavior. My own mother took this information and made serious behavior changes. She always talks on her cell phone on speaker phone and prefers to use her home phone for long duration calls. She warned me to do the same, and to keep my phone as far away from me as possible while I am not using my phone. Even after her warnings and doing the research myself, the convenience and reliance on my phone keeps it on me despite being aware of the small potential risks. Just like people smoke even when they are fully educated on the health risks, I predict our addiction to technology would produce similar results.

I recently discovered an article (click here for full article) which made me think about health concerns caused by technology. However, these products weren't harming the consumer, they were harming the workers halfway around the globe who are putting these products together for us. A chemical n-Hexane, which is widely known to be harmful and banned from factories in the US, was being used to clean Apple iPhone products at a factory in Taiwan. At least 62 workers were hospitalized many facing serious illness. Exposure to this chemical would never occur at a factory in the US, but in these factories purposely set up in poor and desperate countries companies get away with cutting edges. I'm sure there are hundreds of similar stories hidden away from public awareness that expose how our immense need for technology is damaging the health of those less fortunate and I'm sure there are many unintended or hidden health consequences that will surface in the future.

Blog Topic: Technology and Health

Since it seems like a lot of people are going to be blogging about the social media aspect of technology such as facebook and twitter, I thought I would talk about a different social role of technology. Technology has had a huge impact on human life in many ways, and I am going to blog about the impact of technology (or lack of technology) on health from a social perspective. Hope we can find some interesting stuff!