Isolation is over-surveillance Through the Social Media

Summary

The article discusses the implications of increased social media usage during the pandemic, touching on themes of surveillance, mental health, and interpersonal relationships.

Abstract

The article "Isolation is over-surveillance Through the Social Media" delves into the paradoxical effects of social media during the COVID-19 crisis. It suggests that while these platforms help us stay connected, they also turn users into digital voyeurs, blurring the lines between healthy social interaction and invasive surveillance. The author questions whether our constant monitoring of friends' activities online is a form of companionship or a manifestation of self-centeredness and narcissism. With the rise in social media consumption, the article highlights potential techno-pathologies such as FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and nomophobia, which are linked to anxiety, depression, and fear. It also addresses the darker side of constant connectivity, including the inability to escape toxic relationships and the pressures of social networking. The author encourages readers to use this period of isolation to find inner peace and to be mindful of the collective discomforts that many face, advocating for responsible use of social media to foster awareness and empathy.

Opinions

Social media may have evolved into a tool for consensual spying, where users monitor each other's activities under the guise of social interaction.
The overuse of social media during the pandemic can lead to techno-pathologies like FOMO and nomophobia, contributing to mental health issues.
The article suggests that the panoptic theory, which revolves around disciplinary power and surveillance, can be applied to the way society engages with social media.
There is a call to reflect on our "healthy-use" of social media, implying that current usage patterns may not always be beneficial.
The author emphasizes the importance of being aware of and respecting the diverse circumstances of individuals during isolation, some of whom may be dealing with continuous work or domestic adversities.
The author posits that the best use of social media is to increase awareness of societal issues and to show empathy towards

Are we “digital-voyeurist” using smart devices?

Photo: Cristian Newman. Unsplash.

We know all about our friends during this pandemic crisis. We know what they eat, what they are seeing in Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc… We know also how are they feeling in social-distancing, some others in isolation.

Social Media, is probably the most revolutionary creation that the human had made since printing, railways, and TV.

But what are we actually doing “spying” with consent all our friends (or just knowns) through our smart devices? Are we making company for them or just making come true the self narcissism of them or us?

Anyway, all these questions are directly spriting some negative vibes of social media and are not factual. What I want you to invite to think, is are we under surveillance to our friends, or are we making the social media a “panoptic system” to follow all their actions?

I think is fair to have some hypothesis about our “healthy-use” of social media. We know exactly what it becomes for us since they were released.

In these times of Coronavirus, Social Media has increased too much its use. We spend a lot of time sharing content. This kind of hiper-information and hiper-activity in social media can generate techno-pathologies. The FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) and Nomophobia are two of the most known and are relative to anxiety, depression and fear.

We have to take care of these technologies. Ironically, especially from human-beings. All of us have toxic people in our lives, and with the over-exhibition in social media, we are more exposed to have direct contact. The control of our interpersonal relationships sometimes is not a universal value in all the people. Along the way, as well as social pressure forced us to open social networks; its excessive use can also lead to negative poles.

I just don’t want you to feel guilty if you have presented sometimes one of these symptoms, but I want you to aware of how you can make easy this pandemic crisis.

One of the other topics that I concerned a lot, is the possibility of thinking the social media users as a digital-voyeurist. I know we see histories of Instagram daily. It has become a ‘common sense’ of post-modern Millenial Generation. And also upload our lives over there. The ‘stalking’ is at the order of the day, we can have under surveillance the people we follow and ask them instantly how they are.

I feel scarry many times of having a mind-blowing reading real life as a book of a fictional novel like this: the Panoptic theory, is an idea of complete restriction and surveillance that a system can have. It makes “disciplinary power” — Michel Foucault says.

I hope social isolation for everyone could be a perfect opportunity to make contact with ourselves, seeking for our Zen. But honestly, we have to recognize that some people are under conditions to non-stopped working, or have their assailants at home.

The isolation and social media consumption are also that, being aware of collective discomforts, and having respect for it. That is probably the best aspect of social media: becoming aware.