Increasing social isolation

Description:

Increasing social isolation causes people to connect increasingly via internet and other communication media, entering them into a new kind of addiction to social interaction via machines.

Enablers:

Working time is becoming increasingly part of everyday life. Business mobility, and globalization is scattering families around the world and enable the possibility of people entering into social isolation. Technology developments and the internet contribute to that development, people spending more time with the computer than with family members and friends. This is especially true with increasing unemployment rates, where people have an increased need to connect to others to feel being still part of the society.

Inhibitors:

Technology developments and the internet offer ever new services where people can connect to people more easily and find contacts (e.g. dating pages, weblogs, discussion forums etc.).

Paradigms:

Past: Communication means are needed to bridge distances
Changing: Communication means are needed to connect to people that in may environment.

Web Resources:

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/82/97105.htm