For some it takes a lot of courage to face social situations. It can be easier to hide behind something like a computer.
I received a comment on Tip#300: Cultivate Supportive Relationships about concerns that some people won't connect with others in person because of social media. They mentioned the movie Surrogates and synchronistically I was already planning a post on the powerful social message of this film.
Spending countless hours on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter can become an unhealthy addiction. And that addiction can provide a convenient way to avoid facing one's fears of interacting IN PERSON with others.
Surrogates 2009
The movie Surrogates is set in a futuristic world where most humans live in isolation and interact only through their surrogate robots. The story explores an important theme that mirrors the danger of relying too much on social media to avoid face-to-face interactions with people.
In the film a police officer named Greer (Bruce Willis) is forced to face the real world without his surrogate and recognizes the consequences of a world of people hiding in their own homes. Greer's wife Maggie (Rosumund Pike) is grieving deeply from the death of their son and chooses to lock herself in her room and live life only through her surrogate.
Greer's loss of human interaction with his wife revealed to him the fundamental need for human contact. And he realizes humanity had lost something vital and chooses to make changes.
So be more aware of your own choices when it comes to interacting with others. Social media is a fantastic tool when you balance it with live face-to-face contact. Do your best not to hide behind your computer.
There is a richness in good ol' fashion contact with people. Keep that positive emotional energy alive in your life and career. Nothing can replace it.
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Emmanuel Lopez-Motivatorman
Motivational Specialist For Professionals
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© Emmanuel Lopez 2009
this is an interesting take on this movie. I always thought that with text messaging, and all the social media outlets out there, we've all become very lonely and socially retarded individuals. thanks for the post!
ReplyDeleteWe crave contact. Yearn for it actually. Whether we truly understand it or not. We are a tribe. And fundamentally needed for us to be healthy in a complete fashion is contact/interaction. Good ole' face to face, shoulder to shoulder, smell what you ate for lunch kind of interaction. The web is good, but it's to much a mental stimulus. I'll definitely think about renting this movie.
ReplyDeleteThanks Candice for those social insights! And thanks Ian for sharing that fundamental need for face to face, "smell what you at for lunch" interaction!
ReplyDeleteEmmanuel
Motivatorman
Very interesting movie concept and since Bruce has never let me down so I gotta see this movie! :)
ReplyDeleteGreat blog post, too. Being online allows us to connect with people all over the world from the comfort of our homes; a rare opportunity that our ancestors did not have!
However, like Ian pointed out, we are physical beings. Our senses (and subconscious) pick up millions of bits of information about a person when we're face to face. We miss A LOT of "cues" when we interact online - it will never compare to the sensory impact of someone inviting us into their "personal space".
You're right, Emmanuel, it's all about balancing the old with the new!