Answer to Question #284097 in Sociology for Harry

Question

Robert Putnam argues that television detracts from social interaction and the general level of citizen involvement. But among young people today, some television time has given

way to time spent online. Is sitting in front of a computer screen different from sitting in front of a TV screen? How does the Internet affect social interaction?

Answer 1

There is no difference between sitting in front of a computer screen and sitting in front of a TV screen. This is because whatever you can be able to watch in a TV screen you are still capable of watching it in a computer screen.

Several scholars have resisted that Internet communication is an impoverished and sterile form of social exchange compared to traditional face-to-face interactions, and will therefore produce negative outcomes for its users as well as weaken neighborhood and community ties. However the media affects social interaction in the following ways; Internet has greatly increased the level of communication available, it has also had detrimental effects on the amount and type of social interaction that takes place. The benefits of the Internet in terms of increased communication are clear, with people connected across the globe. In the past, communication was only possible by phone or mail, which entailed time and expense.

On the other hand, there is no doubt that this has had negative impacts on social interaction. People, especially the younger generation, spend hours of their time online, chatting and on forums. Although this can be beneficial, it is certainly not the same as real interaction with human beings and does not involve the same skills.

To conclude, I believe that the internet has undoubtedly been beneficial, but there are good reasons to be concerned about social interaction in our societies. It is therefore important that we maintain a balance between our online life and our contact with real human beings.