Social Media and Introversion

Matthew Earle T. Lee Marketing Management, RVR - College of !siness

S!"mitted to# $.R.S. %!ne& 'e(t. of English and )((lied Ling!istics r. )ndrew *. Co E.d.

March +, ,-./

) recl!se in (aradise or a c!rse in disg!ise0 *iven the (revalence of (owerf!l comm!nication (latforms s!ch 1ace"ook, Twitter, Instagram, vario!s messengers, online games, and the like, non tech 2 savv3 (eo(le are slowl3 integrating these (latforms into their dail3 lives 4Shaffer and 5all, ,-.-6, and some of these (latforms7 !sers are getting addicted to these (latforms, s!"stit!ting act!al interaction with its digital e8!ivalent, (ossi"l3 t!rning a !ser into an introvert. Introversion is likened "3 man3 to a loner, altho!gh this ma3 seem tr!e in some cases, other introverts ha((en to sociali&e with their (referred set of friends. Social Media, as (revio!sl3 mentioned, is !ndenia"l3 a (owerf!l tool !sed "3 man3 to comm!nicate to the world aro!nd them. 5owever with this (ower comes great res(onsi"ilit3, 9!st as the :orld :ide :e" "eing a relativel3 o(en (ool of accessi"le information, s!ch o(enness can lead to one7s reali&ation of the harsh realit3 of freedom, 3et man3 still remain in either ignorance or indifference. Thro!gh the com"ination of a high level of technolog3, integration, o(enness, e;(ressiveness, and assertiveness, the world as an individ!al sees now co!ld definitel3 change c!lt!rall3 in the 3ears to come, and thro!gh these changes, conse8!ences are inevita"l3 definite. Thro!gh these conse8!ences, some individ!als wo!ld event!all3 long for change, and thro!gh this longing, the individ!al will "e forced to take s!ch meas!res to (rod!ce res!lts. This (a(er intends to disc!ss a"o!t the ca!ses, links, effects, and (ossi"le sol!tions towards C3"er )ddiction and Introversion. Introverts are often seen "3 others as loners, losers, and sometimes weirdoes. 5owever, as long as a stereot3(e is (resent, an act!al definition will alwa3s e;ist in (arallel. The term introvert was (o(!lari&ed "3 Swiss <s3chologist Carl $!ng. Lander4,--=6 descri"ed the term introvert as one who is ha((3 in "eing alone and has a rich imagination, has a (reference of reflection over activities, and lacks self 2 confidence in relating to (eo(le and things, and finall3, has a tendenc3 to "e !nsocia"le, sh3, and hesitant. In addition, the3 are >characteri&ed "3 an

inward flowing of (ersonal energ3 2 a withdrawal concentrating on s!"9ective factors 4?$!ng@s theor3 of,? ,--=6. Social %etworking has allowed the h!man race to comm!nicate to one another with s!ch ease, convenience, and efficienc3. Social %etworking is defined as Athe (ractice of e;(anding the n!m"er of one7s "!siness andB or social contacts "3 making connections thro!gh individ!alsA 4:hatIs, ,--C6. Social %etworking in modern conte;t is (erceived "3 man3 as 1ace"ook, Twitter, and Instagram, and thro!gh these (latforms individ!als comm!nicate, inform, and interact digitall3. In s(ite of the (!"lic7s familiarit3 to well - known Social %etworking (latforms s!ch as the ones stated a"ove, man3 do not know the histor3 of social networking. )s the internet did not "ecome what it is overnight, definitel3 social media wo!ld not have had the same fate. <rior Dahoo, 1ace"ook, M!lti(l3, and 1riendster, the idea of social media started off with the !lletin oard S3stem 4 S6, a s3stem !sed to chat with another individ!al via dial 2

!( internet connection, this wo!ld event!all3 s(awn man3 variants incl!ding Esenet, the first "!lletin "oard s3stem that connected '!ke Eniversit3 and the Eniversit3 of %orth Carolina. ) decade later, ritish engineer Tim erners 2 Lee "egan working at CER%, the E!ro(ean Enion for %!clear Research develo(ing what was to "e the :orld :ide :e", and in .==F, CER% donated the :orld :ide :e" to the world. .==/ marked a new era of the social networking with the introd!ction of *eocities, a we" hosting service, followed "3 the e;istence of "logging in .==G, and the introd!ction of *oogle search in .==H. .=== marked the "irth of the first social networking site known as 1riend Re!nited, followed "3 the now def!nct 1riendster in ,--,, M3S(ace in ,--F, and 1ace"ook in ,--/. Do!t!"e was esta"lished in ,--C, and "3 ,--C, M3S(ace has "ecome the most famo!s (o(!lar Social %etworking site followed "3 1ace"ook taking the lead "3 ,--H 4C!rtis, ,-.F6. There are .F forms of social media and s!ch Social networking sites s!ch as 1ace"ook, *oogle <l!s, Micro-"logging sites s!ch as Twitter and T!m"lr, <!"lishing tools s!ch as F

:ord<ress and

logger, Colla"oration tools s!ch as :iki(edia, :ikiTravel, :iki ooks, etc. ,

RatingBReview sites s!ch as )ma&on ratings, )ngie7s List, etc. , <hoto sharing sites- 1likr, Instagram, and <interest, "roadcasting tools s!ch as Video sharing sites s!ch as Do!T!"e, Vimeo, etc. , <ersonal log Talk radio, Estream, Livestream, etc. , Virt!al worlds s!ch as

Second Life, :orld of :arcraft, 1armville, and vario!s games, Location "ased services s!ch as Check-ins, 1ace"ook <laces, 1o!rs8!are, Del(, etc. , :idgets s!ch as <rofile "adges, Like "!ttons, etc. , Social "ookmarking and news aggregation s!ch as 'igg, and 'elicio!s, and lastl3 *ro!( "!3ing s!ch as *ro!(on, Living Social, Crowdsavings, etc. 4M3lers, ,-.,6. Evidentl3, social media is !sed to disseminate information immediatel3, efficientl3, and seamlessl3. )ddiction is often likened to an activit3 that is diffic!lt to resist and can ca!se harm to the victim if not treated immediatel3. )ddiction is defined as a (ersistent, com(!lsive de(endence on a "ehavior or s!"stance 41ree 'ictionar36. The Internet ma3 seem harmless to a !ser at first glance, !nder the ass!m(tion that it is a (owerf!l and !sef!l tool for work and (la3. %evertheless an3thing taken in large doeses will lead to dire conse8!ences. Do!ng 4.===6 has shown that Internet )ddiction can lead as 1amilial <ro"lems, )cademic <ro"lems, and Icc!(ational <ro"lems 4< F 2 C6. 5aving ad9!sted (riorities, the addict is likel3 to allocate his time to the Internet cond!cting different kinds of activities online s!ch as "eing in social networks chatting, reading, or disc!ssing with digital friends. St!dies show that addicts who go online are triggered "3 several reasons to "inge in the internet as it gives the same emotional effect as "inging in addictive s!"stances. 4Do!ng, .===6. inging is triggered "3 fo!r reason namel3 )((lication, which is the !se of the net, Emotions, which makes the internet an aven!e to com(ensate with one7s emotional (ro"lems, Cognitions, which claims that danger triggers s!ch "ehavio!r, and Life Events, which st!dies claim that the it is !sed as a form of com(ensation for one7s disatisfactions in life 4Do!ng, .===, <C 2 .-6. /

*aming is seen as a socia"le, f!n, and in thing in modern conte;t, however, 9!st as too m!ch of ever3thing is harmf!l to one7s health and well - "eing, video games also (ose a risk to individ!als who ind!lge in it. Do!ng 4,--G6 stated that games have transformed from sim(le side scrollers develo(ed for e3e and hand coordination to virt!al worlds with virt!al c!lt!res, gro!(s, occ!(ations, and norms 4<F+G6. eca!se of s!ch a fantas3 world the gamer has "een

immersed in, s!ch as the realms of 'IT) or the (hoto realistic view of Li"ert3 Cit3, the gamer feels like it is realit3 and diverts his (riorities to the game world. :ith realit3 distorted, s!ccessf!l (la3ers ma3 feel confident in real life while losers might end !( as recl!ses str!ggling in defeat. In short, it is a fi; for one7s self esteem. 5owever, in s(ite of that advantage, 3o!nger (la3ers who devote their time to the game ma3 s!ffer several iss!es s!ch as low self - esteem, addiction, de(endence, and distortion of realit3. 4Dee, taken from Do!ng, ,--G6. S!ch (ro"lems ma3 also lead to ind!ced introversion d!e to low self - esteem, death, d!e to self - neglect, famil3 (ro"lems, d!e to relationshi(s, and academic (ro"lems, d!e to shifted (riorities 4Do!ng, ,--G6. In s(ite of a terri"le (ro"lem, there is often likel3 an availa"le sol!tion (resent to rectif3 a sit!ation. )s the two (ossi"le ca!ses ma3 lead to addiction and (ossi"le introversion, s!ch meas!res are (resent and feasi"le to correct s!ch (ro"lems. Several sol!tions were com(iled from the two so!rces and these are as follows# Social Interaction consisting of friends, famil3, and gro!(s, and thro!gh controlling methods s!ch as timers, a"stinence, and s!"stit!tion. Thro!gh social interaction, one is given a (ossi"ilit3 of ret!rning "ack to realit3, thro!gh the interaction with friends, famil3, and gro!(s, one can relearn what has "een (revio!sl3 e;(erienced (rior to addiction. Thro!gh the !se of controlling methods s!ch as timers, which limits the time of game(la3 or internet !sage, a"stinence, which is the ref!sal to (erform s!ch act, s!"stit!tion, which is the re(lacing of one7s c!rrent activit3 with another, one can (ossi"l3 correct his "ehavio!ral (atterns.

In concl!sion, altho!gh gaming and the internet ma3 "e good (laces to !nwind, their (otential addictiveness ma3 seem like a warning to others while others ma3 not take it serio!sl3. S!ch conse8!ences ma3 lead to the ass!m(tion the one is an introvert even if he is not. )ltho!gh some (eo(le are nat!rall3 introverted, not all introverts are c3"er addicts of some sort and not all c3"er addicts are introverts as well. Th!s, introversion cannot "e com(letel3 linked to c3"er addiction and vice versa.

References

C!rtis, ). 4,-.F6. the brief history of social media. Retrieved from htt(#BBwww,.!nc(.ed!BhomeBac!rtisB%ewMediaBSocialMediaBSocialMedia5istor3.html Jennings, A. Jung's theory of temperaments. 4,--=, Se(tem"er .-6. Retrieved from htt(#BB(hiloso(h3.lander.ed!BethicsB9!ng.html M3ers, ). 4n.d.6. Retrieved from htt(#BBdecidedl3social.comB.F-t3(es-of-social-media-(latformsand-co!ntingB Ro!se, M. 4,--C, $an!ar36. What is social networking?. Retrieved from htt(#BBwhatis.techtarget.comBdefinitionBsocial-networking Shaffer, 5. 5all M. 4,-.-6. >Com(!ter )ddiction# ) critical consideration.A American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 7 4,6, .C, - .CH. doi# 'II# .-..-FGBh--HGG/. Do!ng, J. 4.===6. Internet addiction# s3m(toms, eval!ation, and treatment. !nno"ations in #linical $ractice , %7, Do!ng, J. 4,--G6. Enderstanding online gaming addiction and treatment for adolescents. doi# .-..-H-B -.=,C.H-=-,=/,.=.