Description: According to a study done in Germany, social media is harder to resist than sex, cigarettes or alcohol.
Source: cnn .com
Date: Feb 9, 2012
Questions for discussion:
- Do you feel that Social Media is more irresttible than sex? Why or Why not?
Lealand McCallum
No I don’t think media is more irresistible than sex. Ask anyone (probably more predominantly males..) if they would be willing to give up their facebook, twitter or any other Social Media page in exchange for sex and I would say a STRONG percentage would agree to it.
Paige Magnussen
I don’t agree with the study done in Germany. I don’t think that all people would choose something like checking their Facebook over smoking, drinking, or sex. I understand that they study was pointing out that there is zero implications from engaging in social media in comparison to the costs health risks associated with drinking. However has our generation really resorted to being completely technologically dependent? That we would rather sit at home all week and talk our friends through the internet than actually spending time with them and perhaps having a glass of wine. I think this article demonstrated the fact that we need to step out of our comfort zone a bit and make an effort with the people around us. The video said that people who don’t engage with others and only use the internet have actually lost some grey matter in their brain. Although it is tempting to communicate with them via the internet we need to get back to good old fashioned communication. I don t think it’s so satisfying to Facebook or Twitter so I don’t understand that people hold it on such a podium. I think Facebook is useful to keep up with people from your home town, or to watch your grandson who lives in Florida take their first step.
Nichelle
I seen this video before and I completely disagree. (Then again this study was done in Germany) Based on their idea that social media sites have less consequences than drinking , smoking and sex – I can find ways to disagree with that also. Clearly if those people are more addicted to social media than those three options, I would easily assume they are the people constantly releasing all their private information for the world to see. How does that not have any consequences associated with it? Drinking, smoking and sex can cause harm to your body, but would an individual not become overly stressed if their identity was stolen, among many other things, from their lack of discretion on a social media site? Stress causes bodily harm.
However I do agree that people without face to face interaction lose their cognitive skills and their abilities to interact with others. I would still rather pick up the phone and call someone rather than texting them. Moreover, I would rather see that individual in person than have to communicate through some electronic device or social media site. It’s ridiculous how much we rely on different forms of communication rather than the most effective – face to face.
Ashley O'Donnell
I strongly disagree with this study comparing the irresistibility of social media. I do not think that social media is more irresistible than sex, cigarettes or alcohol. I would predict that if a survey was done asking people what would they would prefer, social media or sex, I would predict that at least eighty percent would choose sex over social media. While it may be easier and convenient to write to somebody of their “wall,” how can it more satisfying than actually speaking to them? How can sending out a tweet be more satisfying than sex, or having a few drinks with friends on a Friday night? I personally do not even like social media to begin with. I don’t have a twitter account (and still don’t know what it is) and I have not made an update to my facebook account in close to a year, and yet I am satisfied with my life and I am not in ‘withdrawal’. In my opinion, this isn’t a well constructed study. It seems to be more of an observation some people came up with. I think if actual facts were presented I may be more inclined to believe in the validity of this ‘experiment.’
Tim Anderson
It’s not a matter of giving up ‘sex’ or social media all together, as if a person would be asked to make that choice. It’s a comparison of how social media and sex add value to our lives. I agree with this study. It’s not hard to see that our average young person today would value their connections with people through some sort of media (facebook; twitter) over casual, no commitment sex-with-a-stranger (isn`t that what sex has become?). Sure, that kind of sex is fun (in a ‘that was a rush’ sort of way). But what we humans desire is to connect with people on deeper levels. The problem is that social media can only go so far in fulfilling our need for those deep (I would say necessary) connections. Eventually we need to be face to face with a real human being. Our culture is relying increasingly on social media for human connections. I think our dependence on social media is a symptom of a deeper problem.
Paige Rosner
i totally get it! although it sounds crazy, it makes sense to me. most of my friends check their bloody twitter more often than they smoke, drink and have sex in any given day – and I have a lot of horny alcoholic smoker friends. what makes social media irresistible is that it doesn’t take much effort, it is damn near free, it’s totally socially acceptable to do wherever and essentially whenever one wants to, and (most poetically) there is nothing to resist! It is a perfectly ‘harmless’ activity that one can indulge in when the urge hits them and there is really nothing to stop them. I feel there si more social pressure to engage in social media than there is to not. You don’t smoke or drink or have sex in class, but people sure seem to be playing with their phones. to be sure, i think the study is bullshit, but then again i am not a big believer in normative statistics – I don’t think you can really measure this kind of information. I also have to consider that this study was done in Germany where sex, drinking and smoking exist in a very different social climate.
Lesley
Well, i don’t really agree, yet social media is a hard addiction to quit. Its not much different than trying to quit smoking..you don’t want to quit, so you won’t. I think that people do enjoy sex, alcohol,and smoking more than using social media, but i see why the studies show that people find quitting social media harder to quit, simply because people don’t see any harm in doing it, so they always will. Its completly normal to want to communicate with others, so why quit?
Amber Dashney
I wouldnt say that people would rather tweet, watch tv or talk on the phone more then they would want to drink, smoke or have sex. I think it is that the social media is all around us and there is more time spent on it rather then doing those things. People are just constantly on their phones, tweeting or checking facebook when they feel they have nothing else to do but when it comes to going out and being with other people usually social media takes a backseat. So i do not agree that social media and networking is more irresistable then sex i would just say that there is more time spent on it then sex.
Kelsey Roberts
I believe how irresistible social media is really depends on the individual, and with a lot of our generation today, its sad to say, but the majority probably do spend more time engaged with social media than with sex, smoking, or even their relationships. It has become so readily accessible, no matter the weather, time of day or even where on the planet you are, you can likely find some form of internet or wifi connection somewhere. It to a sense its become a form of addiction for the vast majority of society today. Work weeks have turned into 70-80 hours, at least 20 of those hours probably coming from checking emails, blogging, and updating profiles. We are more concerned with our image on social media sites than we are with our actual self. I am not saying I agree with this at all, but I do believe that there are some individuals today who would rather be tweeting, checking their newsfeed, or emailing, than having sex.
Tim Anderson
As for smoking and drinking, these have some appeal to people today but usually within a social environment where they can have interactions with people. I think we are losing these elements because we spend so much time on social media.
P
I think sex, eating and drinking cannot be accurately compared to social media, drinking, eating and having sex involve face to face interaction with other people , experiencing stimulation of the five senses. I believe in an addiction to social media but I could not see people choosing facebook over any of the real life experiences. Social media is a way for people to express themselves and communicate with other people, however if people only relied on social media as a method of communication, their social skills would decline and as stated in the article, grey matter of their brain is lost and cognitive ability declines as well. Technology has evolved rapidly over the generations and our particular generation has grown with it, we are very reliant on technology but still need to experience the face-to-face interaction with other people in order to learn and improve our abilities. Social media is very popular now but with the speed of technological growth and the new growing concern regarding privacy issues, some other media outlet may rise and be irresistible to consumers.
M
I think this comparison of social media to sex, drinking or smoking is ridiculous. Not that these all aren’t ways of communicating with the world or staying in touch with people as the news report states but you are comparing things that are physical and real to a social media channel and its virtual world. The article states how there are less health implications to social media rather than that with smoking and drinking but how can you compare a virtual social network to an actual activity. This delusion of social media being able to completely substitute in for sex, drinking, smoking or actual human contact is ridiculous and if you seriously feel the desire to stay at home all week, all the time with the only contact you have with another person through a computer you need some serious help. Technology clearly has many positive consequences and social media has developed out of that. I can now talk to different people around the globe whenever I want, or hear what my favourite celebrity is tweeting. The difference is as technology grows and grows as it always has and will people need to maintain some type of actual human involvement.
Rachael Brown
First of all, I think that this is a hilarious topic, and I have difficulty understanding how people could find social media is more irresistible than sex. In the video they talked about how social media is addicting and that it is harder to resist than sex, smoking or alcohol. I find it interesting that an addiction to social media can be compared to sex, smoking, and/or alcohol addictions, because I never thought of social media as destructive.
Interestingly, in the video the reporter discussed that people who don’t have face-to-face interaction don’t learn necessary social skills, have less cognitive abilities and lose grey matter in their brain. These facts remind me of an addiction to alcohol because alcohol abuse has similar effects. However, I think it is important not to lose sight on the fact that social media has many positive effects. For one, it is a way to communicate with others and maintain closer long distance relationships with people. So even though social media can be addicting, it is important to weigh the pros and cons against other addictions. In my opinion, an addiction to social media is less self-destructive than addictions related to sex, smoking, and/or alcohol.
Laura
Is social media more irresistible than sex? Probably, but it depends on the individual, the type, the quality, and a score of other factors that were over simplified in this video. Resisting social media may be hard, people are constantly online checking facebook and twitter and talking to their friends. What do you win by resisting social media? A few extra minutes of spare time in a day? Less connection with your friends? I think that facebook is harder to resist than say – a one night stand, because resisting it doesn’t give you any tangible bonuses. The ease of access and the amount of information and personal connection you receive from social media is staggering. On the negative side, what harm comes from standard everyday usage? I might post a few facebook comments and like a status or two, but how is that really harming me? Why would I need to resist it? Whereas the repercussions of sex are more varied and serious, pregnancy, STDs, a serious emotional commitment… There’s more incentive to resist a sexual encounter, not to mention more effort involved in performing said encounter, that I honestly believe that a comparison between the two is sort of silly. It’s like comparing resisting a candy bar to resisting cocaine. Most people will have a harder time resisting the candy – because the cocaine has so much more negative outcomes.
Lacey Dodds
I do not agree with this study conducted in Germany, especially because Germany is known for being a country where family and face-to-face interaction is most valuable, this seems bizarre to me. I do not think that social media is more irresistible than drinking, smoking, or sex, but I do think it is a habit that is hard to kick. Some people are without a doubt addicted to their smartphones. Once you have everything you need on your cell phone (facebook, twitter, youtube, imessenger, etc.) and you always carry it with you, it is hard to not always be glancing at your phone and checking out the latest status updates or tweets. I know that once I got my iphone I have definitely caught myself using it significantly more than my old cell phone I had that did not have social media capabilities. However, to compare this to drinking, smoking and sex, yes it may be cheaper and somewhat less harmful, but people who are addicted to alcohol and cigarettes are going to choose those substances over checking their twitter any day of the week. I am sure most people, especially the male race would definitely rather be engaging in some excitement rather than checking their facebook page.
Linli He
It’s indecisive for me to say agree or disagree. I probably would say whether irresistible social media is depends on individuals, and it will depend on whether social media is adding more value than sex or smoking. In my generation today, I will definitely agree with this study. Facebook is a hard addition to quit, and social networking is becoming improtant part of my life. I need to contact with my friends, chatting online, checking what my friends were doing on Facebook, refreshing News. I can not stoping checking my Facebook to see what is going on, and it takes me one-fouth of my 24 hours life. Facebook, Twitter, those social media might be just as harmful as other addictions such as smoking or drinking, and social meida is incredibly addictive for me generation. However, my parent, who are born in baby boom generation, may strongly disaggree with this study. some of them have smoked or drunk for 20, even 30 years long, it’s almost impossible for them to quit smoking or drinking. Our parent, they don’t need to make a new friend on the internet; they don’t have so much free time to see what their friends were doing. Facebook or Twitter is less valuable for them than us.
Sagrika
Even though people use social media everyday in their lives, I would not agree with the fact that it could be more irresistible than sex, drinking or smoking. If that was possible then people would be quitting smoking and alcohol or even sex. Social media does not take off the pressure in total but it might to a certain extent. It might help to get things off the chest through social media but the day-to-day activities in an individual’s life cannot be replaced with it. That is why I disagree with the fact that social media is more irresistible than sex, drinking or smoking. Also people in Germany (where the study was performed) might have a different perspective than people in North America. But I am sure if people are asked to give up sex,alcohol or smoking and use social media instead; there would be a high percentage of people who would rather not prefer social media.
Jay Retzlaff
I believe that is a sad truth that many people in our society today have become so connected with social media that they neglect aspects of their everyday life. Spending more time on social media and putting it ahead of relationships, sex, or smoking is not only detrimental to your everyday life, but it is further separating each other from true human contact. Social skills are slowly being lost to text messages and social media and pretty soon we will be walking drones that wont even be able to make a simple person to person conversation. It is an addiction that is slowly becoming more and more prevalent in our everyday lives and seems to consume certain people. I’m sure if most people were forced to quit using social media it would be just as hard as quitting smoking or drinking to some people and that to me is a unfortunate truth.
Now I know many people would not admit to going on facebook or twitter an excessive amount, but the statistics don’t lie. Many people are spending hours a day on facebook and some people don’t even realize they are doing it since it has become such a central part of their lives.
Tuan
I feel that Social Media is either more irresistible than sex or not irresistible than sex. For example, a person who does not have many physical friends, Social Media becomes their best friend. Where as a person who do have many physical friends or a partner, Social Media could become either more or less irresistible than sex depending on your level of satisfaction. Technology is out there and practically everyone has a mobile phone and if you don’t it is like you have no friends or no sex. With the advancement of this mobile phone I have seen people notice that there mobile phone is missing quicker than losing their wallet or key. It is like a missing friend or love one and I seen people freak and tripped out because their phone is missing but it okay if they are lock out of their house or car. However, it all depend on your social life. Whether your friends are electronic or actual human being I miss the tradition ways of meeting and communicating with others. I rather talk face to face and sometime you can’t so you talk on the phone and able to hear their voice. Now it all about texting!
Jannelle Batt
I don’t believe that social media is more irresistible than sex, alcohol, or cigarettes. It is true that now a day’s people do rely on their cell phone or facebook for communication more than our parents did but I have to agree with a previous comment about how it’s a way to stay connected with people from your home town and family while you’re far away. But this doesn’t mean that a person would rather be on a social networking site than having sex, smoking a cigarette, or having a glass of wine with your friends or the one you’re in a relationship with. I do believe that the technology age with social media has made face to face interaction more difficult for some people and they lack in social skills from this because they are not used to communicating directly with another person in person. For those who do become addicted to it, because let’s face it, there is always someone who uses it or does something to much, they have a harder time communicating and connecting with people and have a harder time fitting in with society. But this does not go for everyone; some people may prefer social media to sex, alcohol, or cigarettes but I think these people would be the grand minority of the population.
Darren Fletcher
The social media is only addictive to many because of boredom, if someone is truly engaged to an activity they are in than logging onto Facebook is very far from the mind. That being said a smoker can always find time to sneak a puff or two, no matter how busy he or she is at any given time. I disagree immensely with the statement that social forums is more addictive than sex.
Dennis Zhong
Do you feel that Social Media is more irresttible than sex? Why or Why not?
I think Social Media is more irresttible than sex, because Social media cant be control. you only deleted it after but you cant control what source they put on the online. So it is irresttible.
Billy Abesdris
Since CNN did not explain how the study was conducted, their claim that social media is more irresistible than sex is unsubstantiated. None the less there are many variables that could make either side true. Who do I get to have sex with? What conditions or contractual obligations do they have to continue to have sex with me regardless of my performance? If I could give up Facebook for a day and have Mila Kunis in my bed tonight, surely I would agree. Contrarily, if in foregoing social media for a year, I only receive a hand job from Martha Stewart; my decision might change. Everyone has their own unique indifference curve consisting of baskets of goods which they are indifferent between. I will only give up ALL of one good if the good I am to gain provides me equal or greater satisfaction. There is a term used in economics called Marginal Rate of Substitution(MRTS). Imagine you have a strict budget; the amount of Good “A” you are willing to forego in exchange for one more unit of Good “B” is MRTS. This same theory can be used in our social media and sex example. Think of Social Media as Good A and Sex as Good B. On my personal indifference curve I might give up 50 hours of social media in exchange for one hour of sex. A person whom gets Good “B” more frequently might have a much lower MRTS and one who has sex less than me might have a higher MRTS. It is simply a personal trade off that is distinct to one’s experience and preference. Claiming that some German study proves social media is ALWAYS more irresistible is just ridiculous though.
Dave B.
This study is more confusing than anything. What is the basis to even conduct this research. In fact I think more people use social media to get sex rather than using it to get out of sex. Sure there are addictions but to think that in the act of sex I would reach over just to make sure nobody tweeted about me is rather absurd. The more I think about it the only time I check my facebook or twitter account is when there is nothing else to do. Most of my meetings and plans come from texting rather than social media even though people do create events so they can invite their 4,000 friends, but not all 4,000 people show up…maybe its because most of them are having sex…
Maria Rana
I personally do not agree with the study done in Germany regarding social media to be harder to resist than alcohol, cigarettes, and sex. I do not think many people would choose using social media such as Facebook over alcohol, cigarettes, and sex. This is because social media is not having real contact with a person and as humans, I feel as if we would prefer having conversation with others and enjoying their company rather than “stalking” them online. I believe face-to-face contact is more meaningful than communicating with someone through a screen. Also, I am pretty sure that a person can live without social media for a longer time than being alone. I do think letting go of Facebook is probably hard but letting go of an actual real person is probably even harder. I would certainly like to know more about the study and where they got their results from and I am shocked from the result. I find the results pretty astonishing and I think it might be a little biased. I certainly would like to know more about how the study was conducted.
Salma H.
What a bizarre study, with even weirder results! I’m really interested in knowing the details of this study, such as the type of research conducted and the participants used, because the findings do not seem at all accurate! I agree that social media has started a new wave and made it harder to resist the occasional tweet or Facebook comment, but I do not believe it is taking over our lives to that extent. People are indeed relying more on these social media outlets to interact with peers, and take their minds off of the ‘real world’, but how much are they really willing to give up to achieve the simple feeling of one click to tweet? Social media has created a made up world for people to become whoever they want to be, and to interact with many different people in different walks of life, and for this fact it has become more appealing. With that being said, I understand roughly where the initial premise of this study came from but at the end of the day I would need to see the specifics to believe it!
Ali Almasoud
Social media cannot be
Ali Almasoud
Social media cannot be more Irresistible than Sex. It is true that most people who are young are too addicted to browsing, chatting, and viewing social media, but that is not really comparable to something that is physical and essential need in the real world. I mean it is still not as important as other needs. Sex for example, is considered as a basic physiological need that everybody needs. Therefore, I don’t think that we will reach a stage where we prefer “E-needs” to our basic physiological needs. However, that does not meant I ignore the risk of social media as a potential threaten factor that truly might isolate people from the real world socializing. Moreover, a lot of people using social media use it for dating, gathering, and real socializing. That means sex, love, social needs, can be fined in Facebook which means that people may use it for that sake which eventually leads to the idea that sex is more irresistible than social media.
Mattie E
Wow! This study certainly is interesting, and I have to say that I was a little taken aback by the results. I don’t know anyone (at least I hope I don’t) that would rather tweet than have sex or a glass of wine. I think that this study makes it look like social media is harder to resist than sex, smoking, or alcohol, but I think that all it does is show how easy it is to access these websites. The study only contained 205 people, which is a relatively small number. The study only proved that social media is hard to resist, which is true. But is it harder to resist than having a drink or smoking a cigarette? Social media is something that billions have, and it is seen as an acceptable, even essential part of 21st century life. It’s not exactly frowned upon to check your Facebook during your break at work, and what student doesn’t tweet during class? Swap out social media with alcohol, sex, or smoking and it’s a totally different story. I would get in serious trouble if I snuck a few beers in during my lunch break at work, and everyone in my lecture would be furious if I lit up a cigarette in the middle of class. My point is that smoking, alcohol consumption, and sex are things that are only considered acceptable at certain times, in certain places, and with certain people. They also require somewhat of an effort to use or do, unlike social media, which is accessible at the touch of a button. Social media is also considered a low-risk activity, unlike smoking and excessive alcohol use. After looking at this study, I think that it is completely possible that social media is harder to resist than sex or alcohol, but only because of its ease of use and cultural acceptability.
Amb O
Based on this short little clip I just watched i wouldn’t say i agree nor disagree. I feel that everyone is different and looking at this situation from a someone who would rather go on social media than have sex I can see that happening. Social media is terribly addicting. If you see the stats online about how much time people spend a day on facebook/twitter/instagram, it is mind BLOWING! People spend over 4 hours a day sometimes on social media! I don’t know how many people spend 4 hours a day having sex on average so if you think about it based on the stats online I would say yes, definitely addicting and it takes over sex easy. From the other stand point, a lot of people (men more) enjoy sex and have to have it daily. Even women enjoy sex sometimes more so than men so i can definitely see how this can be more irresistable. Other things do consume and take up our time more than anything though just like sleeping (yes, very important), smoking (addicts), going to the gym. All in all, moderation is neccessary in everything we do!
Veronica
Under Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, sex is listed with physiological needs which includes oxygen, water, sleep – the necessities of existance where as we survived before social media. That being said statistics and a persons’ response would vary depending on the person and what they considered a “need” and more important. Personally, I can resist smoking – cigarettes are disgusting, alcohol- socially, sex – continuing on… social media – I check my facebook daily. As said in a previous post the appropriate timing, place, and people involved and accessibility of cigarettes, alcohol, sex and social media are all completely different and quite frankly unrelated.
I don’t think that doing a statistical analysis on a segment or sample population will give any actually strong supporting evidence because it’ll depend on so many different variables: age, sex (male or female), geography (in some areas social media isn’t even an option), religions, hobbies, peronsal relationships, etc. What this video does offer is the awareness that to many people social media is more desirable or harder to resist the cigarettes, alcohol and/or sex.
Rod white quills
social media can’tbe more irresistable than sex unless you are dumb. if somebody offered a person sex do people honestly think that they will turn it down for the opportunity to check there facebook account or post a message on twitter really. these people that they conducted the test on must not be getting much sex or do they just have to much time on their hands. sure social media is easier to obtain than sex and can be done in public settings unlike sex. there is a line that needs to be drawn when it comes to the type if influence we believe that social media has on society. there are different things other than social media that influnece the way people operate but everybody is so consumed by facebook or twitter that we are finding everything to compare it with in todays society. like really comparing sex to social media is getting a little to far fetched. sex is something that most people do when they are in love and is far different from what people do in social media this is getting to the point where we are reaching just a littleto far or trying to reach to far into peoples private lives like really sex and social media in the same sentence is just to far fetched for most people.
Jenn Burton
I agree that social media does not have the same consequences as smoking, drinking, or having sex, however; it has its own set of consequences. Social media creates lack of socialization skills, grammar decreases because of acronyms and overall social media leaves society as a whole disconnected. Before Facebook and twitter, I was able to meet friends and hangout and find out what’s new and help them vent problems. Facebook and twitter now take that away by letting people vent via status updates and tweets in real time, also let everyone know at once the good news, so as not to repeat the same phone conversation a multitude of times.
I don’t feel that it is personally more irresistible than sex, alcohol, or smoking but I do see it in day to day life of others. I would much sooner go sit on a patio and have a few drinks with friends than sit at home watching life on a computer screen. I see the economic benefits, less unplanned pregnancies, not as much money on alcohol but could increase the smoking. Within relationships, it is clear when you constantly see one half of a couple always out and the other you just read status updates when you get home. These couples obviously are not a success story to happen by my standards but, then again society has changed so much that it is now the new norm. Being out and not know the news till you get home to watch it was the way I grew up and now that I spend hours at school or work, my news is twitter following news agencies. If you feel the need to be one the phone or computer instead of talking to your significant other right beside you then problems arise and a long fruitful relationship can pass you by without you even realizing it till it’s way too late.
Keely
I don’t believe that social media has become more irresistible than sex. Although, if a person were asked to give up one or the other, then in that case, and only that case, I could see people giving up sex for social media. If people were given the choice to only have one of the two for the rest of their lives, I don’t believe people would be able to let go of social media. For some people their entire lives revolve around Facebook and Twitter and Myspace, and without those, they probably wouldn’t be able to function. Though, I don’t believe that sex and social media are entirely interchangeable, its entirely acceptable to sit down and check Facebook on your coffee break at work, but not so much to meet up for a quickie. And when going out to the bar, people are looking for a hookup, not to find someones email address so they can quickly add them on Facebook and send them their new favourite meme.
I don’t think that people would give one thing up for the other, if used in moderation, people should be able to find ways to incorporate both sex and social media into their lives. Since the sample size for this study was quite low, I believe that maybe it didn’t quite hit enough people to give an accurate result. Social media is just a way to contact people through the internet, I don’t believe that people would give up the actual physical attraction for somebody just to contact them over the internet from there on. People need access to people in the physical form, social media is not enough.
Debbie Kennedy
First of all I can’t believe all the hype about social media’s and the addiction some people have is just mind blowing for me. I live away from home where I don’t know anyone and I go on facebook far less than the average person. I use this social media to keep in touch with people from back home. I went on a trip to Kalispel last summer with someone and their phone died once we crossed the border. This person was totally worried and didn’t know what she was going to do without her facebook and twitter. She was constantly on it when we were visiting as well. I see people on facebook here at the university and on their phones all the time. I can see how this has become more important than sex because of what I see. Social Media has taken over people’s “spare time” and more. I think people crave being in touch with lots of people, it’s in our nature to have people to talk to and be around. I know of a young man who did a “Fast” all by themselves for 3 days and 3 nights, he couldn’t finish his fast, when asked why, he replied, “I was lonely”. Another story of woman talking of her experience in a “Fast” said she desperately wanted to talk to someone and tried to keep those looking after her lodge as long as possible so she could visit with them. So yeah, I believe Social Media is more irresistible than sex because as humans we all need to have some contact with people and Social Media keeps you in touch with many. Sex you don’t need, people you do.
Sophie
It would make sense that social networking would be harder to give up than sex because people have constant access to social networking all the time. If you have a smartphone, you can be on a social networking site anywhere anytime. Every time you get bored, you can pull out your phone and check Facebook. The same can’t be said for sex. Sex isn’t something you can just have wherever you are. Just based on accessibility, it makes sense that social networking would be more addicting than sex.
Brani
Social media in this context can be associated with sexual deviance; being deviant doesn’t necessarly mean you are doing something bad. A basic definition in my insight is the unexpected behaviour associated with sexuality. Social media is more irrestible then sex in these terms, simply due to the fact that various parts of our society try to work together to achieve a balance or equilibrium within individuals. Talcott Parsons argued that societies, to survive, must teach the dominant values, as social equilibrium rests on consensus. Social media is interwined in our everyday lives, no doubt there are individuals who substitute it for sex, alcohol etc… Our society is based on what technology wants; what technology wants is for society to unbutton its shirts and sit back and type.
Ryan Huntley
I think for the average person with a healthy sex drive and an appreciation for the occasionally self-indulgence, the dependency on social media doesn’t compare with the developed world’s more typical vices (Drugs, Alcohol, Sex, Daytime Television, etc). This being said, I do think the study speaks to a problem which is starting to become more severe as social media keeps evolving with little questioning from the general public as to whether or not this is, in fact, a positive influence within the context of our social interactions.
When social media originally began to take form with such services as Myspace, I think it was a supplement to a person’s social life. In the last 10 to 15 years it’s grown to the point where it’s consuming a larger portion of our personal interactions, in addition to our interactions within the workplace. Quite simply, few people have stopped to ask the question ‘how much social media is too much social media?’ It’s like we’re rats in a skinner box; push the bar and get a food pellet (Or in our case, post a status update and get a ‘like’ or comment from your friends).
I’ll be the first one to admit, it’s a hard cycle to break, but we as individuals need to be setting boundaries for social media consumption. Just as there is such a thing as too much Alcohol, Drugs, and Sex, there is also a point of media over consumption, and without those boundaries we are rats in a skinner box at the disposal of such services as Facebook and Twitter.
Marli Hadden
I think that the video makes a very valid point in that people find social media very appealing because of it’s lack of implications. It is very easy for people to communicate via Facebook and Twitter without every actually having a face to face conversation with another person. The irresistibility of it is that it is always at our fingertips, so why would you not check what the new notification happened to be. Like the video said, smoking, drinking, and sex all have physical and emotional repercussions where social media is simply and outlet. That being said, I do not feel that social media is more appealing or irresistible that drinking or sex. Those two activities are actually fun, stimulating, and involve other people where as Facebook and Twitter just feels like a recap of things that have happened in the past.
Misbah Dar
Social media is not more irresistible than sex because it is in human nature. You can’t just live your life by just posting status or comments on social media; you have to be active physically in order to fulfill your body’s needs such as eating, drinking, and sleeping. Social media such as twitter and facebook have been seen as a psychological way of relieving stress for people by talking about their likes and dislikes, getting it off their chest. Sex, cigarettes, or alcohol are the physical way of relieving stress for someone who sees these things as a way of relieving stress rather than talking it out with somebody else. Doing a study of 205 people is a small sample size to generalize the prediction of the whole world population. People aged 18 to 80 years old are a huge age group, are these people married or not or in a relationship or not. There are probably lots of other factors that weren’t taken into consideration. Social media is consuming lots of people’s time but there is always time for sex. You can always turn off the access of social media from your mobile devices but you can’t turn off your body’s needs.
Reply
WOW what an interesting studying! This is absolutely crazy if this is true for most of people out there. However, I myself as a smoker, actually in a process of quitting right now, disagree that social media is more irresistible than smoking, sex, and drinking. Yet I have a strong addiction with social media facebook. I actually thought about several reasons for facebook addiction before and I think people become addicted to it because social media is just a way of communicating these days. People texts, call, video chat, probably more often than set up a time and sit down face to face to talk. So when I all of the sudden deactivated my facebook account for a while and not using a social media, I started to feel like I am not being updated with my friends anymore. I don’t know what my friends are doing ( not that it is so important but as I am so used to be updated with news right away), also felt like I am losing my belongingness. So I believe that social medias might not be more irresistible than smoking, sex and drinking but I absolutely think that it is addictive, and hard to get out of because social media itself is a new society that creates belongingness now.
Keith Grier
All i can say is WOW! I would have never believed that society would face such a dilemma, however, smoking and drinking, i think if social media replaced these poor habits then that would be ok and far cheaper for society at large (mentally, physically, spirituality, economicially and emotionality). The government is aiding to demarket these products more and more and resocializing society by imposing sin taxes and better education to those types of products so i can see them being minimized anyway! Social media might be a healthy alternative as some people smoke and drink to offset there personal stresses and issues; therefore, I could see this being a more positive and healthier way of venting your issues so i can see this becoming more dominate part of society.
The sex thing, well really!!! In my mind, it just can’t be replaced, we’re human beings and made to be intimate with one another. I just have to say, to those folks that believe that social media has become more irresistible than sex, please and no disrespect, find yourself a sexy partner who stimulates your mind and body. Challenge yourselves to connect on a deeper level of intimicy with each other and the sex is incredible far outweighs computer texting and junk, LOL! Then and only then, you’ll know there is just no comparison and never mine that this ridiculous social media thing!! I dont social media: facebook, twitter, or anything else like that so i just can’t make the connection.
Le Liu
It is really hard to compare those two things together and the answers may vary on different person. But I do want to emphasize the important role of social media in my life. I am currently using Face Book, QICQ, and Wechat. I normally check them for almost 10 times a day. It not only provides them function to talk to your friends, but also track what they did every day. It is very helpful to catch up with the friends far away from you. We can read their journals and see their albums to know better what happed in their lives. I even find my friend in childhood by using the powerful social media searching engine. I also use them to make new friends. Often, when I meet new friends, we will add each other on our friend list on Face Book. It is such a good way to help you to know a person by go through their social media site and see their everyday life. Moreover, the social media site becomes a way to express myself. I want to share opinion, work experiences, studying and emotion with my friends. I personally am not interested in alcohol and smoking, but I think I do addict to social media a little bit.
Xuan Wang
Social media and sex are so different things for human beings. I have to say social media is more and more important for us through time flies. It is not easy to refuse to use social media in the life time. People are more likely to communicate on the internet or though cell phone. And social media is a good plat to use at anywhere and anytime. More and more people use social media also pushed others to use the social media frequently. Social media has improved a social net between everyone and it is pretty hard to refuse to joint into the net. Because human being is social’s human being. No one can get out and do not participant to the activities that most others are doing. Sex is also important for human being. No sex, the lives cannot continue in the future. But if you do not have sex, you can also live in the big social environment. If you do not use social media, you cannot feel comfortable in the big social environment. The social media is already related to our quality of lives so much. And you can feel about it at anywhere and anytime. Social Media is more irresistible than sex.
Cheryl
Personally, I do not agree with social media being more addictive than sex. I agree that it can interfere with lives and certainly be addictive to some point, but it is still very extreme to say that it is more addictive than the connection you experience when you are physically with another human being. Social media as a form of entertainment is agreeable, but not a replacement for human interactions and socializing face to face.