Do Gadgets Make You Lonely?

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Here’s a good Friday afternoon discussion topic…do gadgets make you lonely? Seriously, do you believe that tech gadgets make us more or less isolated and why?

A coworker of mine recently sent an e-mail asking, "Why does technology seem inevitably to pull apart communities and isolate individuals?" His argument based on the assumption of Bowling Alone, that Americans are more isolated than ever. But my co-worker placed the blame for this trend squarely on the iPod and the accompanying trend of noise-isolating earbuds.
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Last week at a Starbucks I saw four people gathered around a 13" macbook, twisting and turning their heads so that they could get a better view of the screen.

Clearly, instead of actually have a conversation or pondering things, they were looking at movie trailers. I was there reading the NYT and they didn't move for 40 minutes.
 
Because you no longer have to leave home to get the information you need to know...

I'd probably agree it makes us more isolated. But MORE in contact, just not in person.
 
I'm gunna go read a book by myself and write some snail-mail letters :D. That'll show those anti-social gadgets.
 
Amen Chombo. I work in a busy sales jobs............ last thing I want to come home to is people yapping their gums.

The least amount of contact with other people the better
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TechieSooner said:
Because you no longer have to leave home to get the information you need to know...

I'd probably agree it makes us more isolated. But MORE in contact, just not in person.
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I agree, peeps I knew in high school who were ostracized and outcasts have more online buddy type contacts now than I have from being reasonably social through HS and college...
 
depends on the gadget, its appearance, and its purpose. for example, I can't think of anyone for being ostracized for having an everyday off-the-shelf usb flash drive, unless they wear it around their neck or something.

now if you have something like the humping dog flash drive, you might get some eyes rolling at you as well as facepalming.
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Short answer: More isolated.

Once we've purchased a device, we're invested in finding uses for it. Even when it arguably works against our best interests. The most obvious example that is literally staring me in the face all day is email. I use my computer or phone to send electronic messages to my coworkers all day, every day. Sometimes, an email thread will grow to ridiculous length, with dozens of people added to the To... and Cc... lines. Additionally, the thread may extend over several days or even weeks.

The alternative? The person who originally sent the mail could have picked up the phone and spoken to a live human being. Or they could have arranged a meeting. But no, three out of four times, we just continue talking past one another in email. Bleah.
 
LOL! Ok that picture of that person on the park bench was fucking funny. Good way to get robbed. :)
 
Chombo said:
The least amount of contact with other people the better
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Spoken from the cool confines of his parents basement. Room lit by the sterile glow of a computer monitor and a badly neglected fish tank. Fingers and keyboard sticky from Doritos and spilled soda. Shades drawn tight but not tight enough for quick peaks at the frightening world outside. :p
 
Ever since comic books and calculators, we nerds have been so misunderstood and lonely.
 
That is certainly not true. You can't be lonely if you got many gadgets.
 
+1 Shane

I don't think gadgets force anyone to be more isolated. Just makes it easier to reduce physical contact.
 
myndcrime said:
eh i dont think this is true, i have a lot of friends in World of Warcraft
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R0N1 said:
That is certainly not true. You can't be lonely if you got many gadgets.
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That is precesily the point of "Bowling Alone", which I happen to read and finished this past week. Friends in WOW do not count as they do not replace the type of social interaction you get from face to face, not even remotely close. Internet, technology, and especially TV have alienated the public from social interaction, or propery...reduce their social capital. Read that book and you're likely to agree. Right now you've got no clue what you're talking about.

Seriously myndcrime....I cannot believe you'd go so far as claim "I have friends in WOW"....you're a true special kind of nerd
 
Gadgets are a crutch for the socially inept.

I meet up with a bunch of friends for lunch sometimes and if you took away their new phones and laptops (they appear to change them every 4 months) they really wouldnt have anything to talk about.

I think thats really sad. So I now tend to hang out with my less tech savvy but more socially able friends more.

I must add since I've been out of work and decided that gadget spending is now off the agenda I have felt a lot better. I realised those gadgets were just making up for doing jackshit with my life.

Oh look a new toy..must have....GOT IT!......ok its so so...whats next?
 
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