The evolution of personal connection has been dramatically reshaped by social media over the last two decades. We’ve found ourselves being ruled by a small screen and an online presence. As we stand on the brink of further technological advancements with AI, we must ask ourselves: Will AI help us recover the depth of human connection we’ve lost, or will it exacerbate the very issues social media has created?
Social media and the decline of mental health
We live in a time of swiping, whether that be up, down, left, or right. We have lost the art of human connection, and as a society, we are experiencing a decay in relationships. Undeniably, social media has made it easier to connect, but paradoxically, it has also driven us further apart. It’s become so easy to keep up to date with our friends and families online, that we are experiencing a decrease in in-person interactions. We are connecting with people more than we ever have, but the depth and quality of these conversations are getting worse, and our sense of connection is deteriorating. As we move further in this direction, we will continue to experience an increase in mental health issues.
Too little, too late
The number of children and adolescents dealing with loneliness, depression and anxiety has risen drastically in recent years, but only recently has social media been identified as a clear factor, and a profound risk of harm to mental health and wellbeing. Considering it’s been over 20 years since the launch of Myspace and Friendster, it’s alarming that we are still struggling to navigate this to avoid the negative impacts that these platforms have; cyberbullying, lowering self-esteem, constant comparisons to others, to name a few. There is some movement in the right direction to protect young people from the impacts of social media; such as Instagram introducing teen accounts with increased security, but is this a little too late? Nonetheless, the impact of social media on our mental health is not just limited to the platforms themselves; it’s also deeply intertwined with the technology that enables our constant connectivity.
The fear of missing out
Smartphones are like an extension of our physical bodies, like shoes on our feet or keys in our pocket, most of us wouldn’t even think about leaving our homes without them. With this comes immediate access to social media, whenever and wherever we are, making it almost impossible to escape from the digital world that increasingly dictates our thoughts and emotions. Have you ever found yourself checking your phone throughout the day, hoping for a text message from a friend, a meme in a group chat, or a conflicting comment to argue with on X (Twitter)? This impulsive fear of missing out (FOMO) can be severely distracting on a day-to-day basis.
Overexposure in the digital age
This behaviour is also evident when we use digital sources to stay updated about world events. With smartphones enabling instant sharing of photos and videos, we’re exposed to more unfiltered, authentic, and up-to-date information than ever before. While this constant flow of news keeps us well-informed, it also creates pressure to stay aware of everything at all times, driven by the fear of missing out on important information. For many, this can heighten anxiety about global events. As a result, smartphones have become central to managing the complexities of modern life, deepening our dependence on these devices.
Smartphones have become a comfort crutch
On average, we spend 4 hours and 37 minutes on our smartphones every day, which equates to 70 days a year. Some of these hours are spent productively, but many of these are spent wastefully staring at a screen. Have you ever found yourself scrolling on your phone to avoid an awkward public social interaction, to avoid engaging with a stranger, or to distract yourself from getting out of bed and starting your day? The smartphone/social media synergy has become something many of us use for an instant hit of dopamine, to numb the brain with mindless scrolling and stimulation. They have become a tool for procrastination, laziness, and comfort.
Reimagining mobile communication
The constant visual stimulation from smartphones and social media apps keeps us glued to screens, which disconnects us from the physical world around us. We’ve all been on public transport surrounded by faces engrossed in devices, or had to walk around someone on the street who was glued to a screen instead of paying attention to where they were going. As we increasingly rely on digital screens for communication, there’s a growing concern that we’re losing our connection to the real world. Could the solution lie in moving away from app-driven devices? Recent innovations, such as the Rabbit R1 and Ai Pin, suggest a shift toward AI-driven devices that use sensory control to help us stay connected without being screen-bound, encouraging more engagement with the world around us. These signals suggest the way we connect will undergo significant changes, reshaping how we communicate and impacting our relationships.
AI signals of the future
Another AI advancement that could impact how we communicate with each other is Open AI’s GPT 4o. This newest model has new capabilities for facilitating conversations, which suggests AI will augment, replace and enhance how we interact with each other. It could have a positive role in the future of how we communicate with one another; facilitating conversations between people who speak different languages, or who have experienced a disconnection. Another interesting development is from Tokyo University, where scientists have developed a method to attach living skin to robot faces, creating more realistic facial expressions. While still in the prototype stage, this technology could lead to advanced humanoid robots. While this could offer companionship or mental health support, there is a risk that we could experience a loss of authenticity and human touch, as we become overly reliant on AI rather than humans. This could have psychological effects on forming emotional bonds with AI companions, risking the replacement rather than enhancement of human connections. These ideas have also been explored by our research partner in Indonesia, Somia CX, check out a website they’ve created from their research findings.
Conclusion
We live in a world where personal relationships and interactions are no longer essential for survival. Nevertheless, to maintain a healthy mind, we need to feel connected to other healthy minds. Without this connection, we suffer. Our ways of communicating and maintaining relationships will inevitably evolve, and we will forge strong connections with AI. But how far will this go? We must avoid repeating the mistakes made with social media. We need to take control of AI and adapt to it to keep our society healthy and connected. Even when relationships are not crucial for survival, we must consciously prioritise them. Embracing technologies that facilitate genuine connections while being mindful of their potential drawbacks is essential. By evolving our behaviours and attitudes towards technology, we can ensure that we retain the fundamental human need for connection amidst the digital revolution.
Ed Louch