True friendship and social contacts in the modern world

 Maybe, I belong to the old school of thoughts still! But I think I am happy about it. I do not have a Facebook page and only in the last couple of years took to using Whatsapp. I do not have any social networking platforms. I am surprised when people exclaim with shock:

"You do not have a Facebook page."

For such commenters, it implies that I have no friends. When I started using Whatsapp, I assumed that the people I am texting to are my friends. But I was sadly proven wrong on multiple occasions. Because I realized that these people are only my social contacts or acquaintances and not true friends at all. This is the sad truth of the modern world and technology: You have innumerable social contacts but no true friends. 

What are true friends? 

The ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle had once said:

"What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.”

He had done an exhaustive writeup on how true friendship makes life meaningful. A true friend supports you through your thick and thin. It is not about providing money or any material gain. But it is about the moral support and kindness and understanding that binds two friends together. The essence of living too resides on the foundation of love, affection, and support from loved ones including friends. But in the modern era of social networking, this has completely been lost. There are majority of the time no true friends on this platform, but only contacts and acquaintances. 

True friends (Source: The Holiday Spot)

Uniting for a social cause and societal good on the decline-Reasons for it

The modern world

Social networking platforms has led to a hyperconnected world. But in this quest and boasting of connection, the world has gone disconnected and its people have become more lonely and unhappy. True friendship is dead. Meaningful existence is eroded. Mark Vernon, a research fellow at Birkbeck College in London, England posted in USA Today:

“Just as our daily lives are becoming more technologically connected, we’re losing other more meaningful relationships. Yes, we’re losing our friends.”

The joys of real personal contacts are increasingly replaced by electronic stimuli and shallow friendships. There are a number of social contacts but extremely few real friends with whom you can share intimate talks, secrets, and fears or turn to for moral support. I can count the number of such true friends on my fingers; they are so few.

Social networking (Source: Resort Development Organisation)

A research paper in the American Sociological Review revealed:

"The average American has only two close friends, and some 25 percent don’t have any friends!"

Jokes and social networking

If you look at social networking platforms and sharing, one sees that jokes and comic messages and videos are shared more often. Anything serious or wise is spurned. People want content that makes them smile and laugh but dislike articles or videos of morality or life and psychology. This is due to the aloofness and unhappiness generated by no personal touch of people. And the added work and personal tensions that are gripping everyone worldwide surmounted by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

One ends up sharing your personal sorrows and sad tales with strangers such as cab drivers, bartenders, hair stylists or counselors rather than friends because the latter are few or none. Contacts are there for sharing your happiness but maybe with a jealous feeling, but run away or keep mum when you start talking of the sorrows of your life. 

Time and friendship

Aristotle had also said:

"The desire for friendship comes quickly. Friendship does not.”

True friends come after a lot of time and effort and are not instantaneous like a social contact. A social connection is made with a click but making true friends is not as simple and straightforward. Thus modern world people are in fact more lonely and private despite a huge virtual social circle. One needs to look into this part of life and truth and balance and cut down on social networking. Use that time for more meaningful and personal contacts with people. It will add value to your life and bring back a true smile on your face.