Social neurosis and isolation refer to how excessive technology use can negatively impact social skills. Constant phone/internet use can cause anxiety and a reliance on electronics over face-to-face interactions. Communication devices like phones provide convenience but can be distracting and reduce socializing. While the internet enables connection, social media obsession isolates users from real-world relationships. Gaming addiction immerses players in virtual worlds at the cost of physical and mental health. Overall, technology improves lives but moderation is key to avoiding its potential to undermine social skills development and isolate users.

1. Q&A
Technology and Social
Neurosis/Isolation
Prepared by: Daniela Simone

2. Content
• What is social neurosis/isolation?
• How does technology affect social interaction?
• Which technologies contribute to this issue?
• Cellular devices
• Social media
• Gaming devices

3. Q: What is Social Neurosis?
A:
• Neurosis is defined as: “functional disorder in which feelings of anxiety, obsessional
thoughts, compulsive acts, and physical complaints without objective evidence of
disease, dominate the personality”
• The definition of neurosis when applied to its affects on technology and society
basically means that these obsessive acts, such as constant texting, tend to dominate
a persons personality to the point where the become immune to the other people
around them and this becomes second nature
• This continuous use of technology in order to communicate with others causes and
sense of anxiety which over time can cause neurosis so far ingrained that people may
not be likely to engage in face-to-face communication

4. Q: What is Social Isolation?
A:
• Social isolation is defined as: “a lack of contact between persons, groups, or whole
societies”
• Social isolation as it relates to technology refers to the fact that as a society driven by
communication technology and media we are now replacing social interactions with
electronic devices and in effect losing our abilities to communicate effectively. Overall
this causes a person to isolate themselves to a level where they may feel
comfortable.

5. Q: How does technology affect social
interaction?
A:
• 50 years ago the act of socializing was in essence an art from. Individuals learned
from a young age how to interact with others in a formally expressive way. Using titles
such as “ma’am” and “sir” even young children were polite and socialized well in their
surroundings
• Shortly after the introduction of the computer came the internet and soon after email
and soon after that social media. These technological advances saw a shift in the
way individuals communicate. In lieu of a personal phone call on ones birthday
sources such as Facebook and text messaging have become the popular way to
send well wishes.
• Overall these new technologies have cause society to rely on them everyday, from
emails to text messages, twitter to instagram, people become enthralled with social
media as their first form of communication. This presents the issue of our social
degradation, isolation and neurosis are inevitable when individuals have no
experience in tactile communication.
• “Instead of cultivating the ability to interact with others in person, the shift to social
media has led to the underdevelopment of these skills which are essential to living a
successful and prosperous life”

6. Q: Which technologies contribute to social
isolation?
A:
• Communication devices; smart phones, cell phones, computers
• Internet; social media sites, email
• Gaming devices; video game consoles, electronic learning tools

7. Q: Communication devices?
A:
• Communication devices such as cell phones are having a huge effect on social
interactions. These devices have cause individuals to become more dependant on
them than face-to-face interaction. This may be having a negative effect on those we
communicate with. There is so much emotion and expression in a personal encounter
that cannot be captured in a text message. These personal encounters are where
people learn emotion, trust and other social skills. By taking these interactions away
and using technology as a substitute society has lost its ability to interact effectively
with each other. This mode of communication has made it more comfortable for
people to text another person and over time its effect on youth could be detrimental,
molding these young minds into being more comfortable in text conversations and
thus causes social neurosis and isolation.

8. Q: Communication Devices: Pro or Con?
A:
Pros: Cons:
• Convenient- can be used anywhere • Distraction- while driving or in other
situations
• Safety- can contact emergency
services in many situations • Cost- cell phones are expensive
• Location- can use GPS locators to • Social – people rely on texting
get directions when lost instead of physical interactions with
people
• Entertainment – can be used for
gaming and entertainment

9. Q: Internet?
A:
• The internet and social media has helped to bring people closer together in the
workforce and around the world and can have a positive effect on people but when
abused these sites can lead to social isolation. It sounds ironic that “social” media
could have a negative effect on socializing. What social media sites such as
Facebook, Twitter and Instagram do is take the individual away from the true form of
socializing in person. Over time and if introduced at a young age this technology
could have a negative effect on ones ability to interact with other humans and
therefore render them socially inept. This growing problem could see people relying
solely on technologies to get thru their lives, both socially and physically.

10. Q: Internet: Pro or Con?
A:
• Pros: Cons:
• Convenient- can be used at home • Social – individuals use social
or on mobile devices media to escape from their
everyday lives
• Communication – can be used for
business purposes to help • Abuse – some abuse social media
individuals connect with people site and can pose as other
who may be in other countries individuals and cause harm to
others
• Entertainment – can be used for
gaming and entertainment • Obsession- some become so
obsessed with their online lives that
• Socializing – can be a great way for
their real lives become unimportant
people to stay in touch or re-
and they become isolated
connect

11. Q: Gaming Devices?
A:
• In the 1980’s when gaming consoles became available on the market it was a treat
for children and young adults to own or use them. Over time these gaming consoles
have become more popular with all ages of people. It is rare to have a household
without at least one console. These gaming consoles however have been proven to
cause serious social neurosis. The games being played cause the illusion of
acquiring an impossible reality. Individuals can become enthralled and even
obsessed with these realities and make them more important than their real lives.
People lose jobs and friends due to hours of gaming and anti-social behaviours.
Gaming has become a new addiction and individuals with serious problems even
seek professional help.

12. Q: Gaming Devices: Pro or Con?
A:
Pros: Cons:
• Visual – can help with visual acuity • Addiction – can cause extreme
addiction
• Educational – games can be used
educationally • Physical – the lack of physical
activity can be detrimental to ones
• Socially – can be used as a great
health
socializing game with friends
• Violence – can glorify violence and
• Attention – has been proven to help
desensitize young people
improve attention span
• Reality – gives one a false sense of
reality and distract from real life

13. Conclusion
Overall it has been proven that technology can have a negative effect on society.
When these technologies become more important than everyday life and personal
connections a large strain is put on society. With so many people relying on these
technologies its hard to remove them to erase the issue. As a whole society needs to
work together to improve social activity but this is not likely to happen. With the rapid
increase in devices and innovations it can be feared that within years the act of
physical social interaction will be almost obsolete. It is the part of the user to draw a
line in the technological sand and say when enough is enough but because media is
so enthralling individuals are constantly presented with new ideas and gadgets to
make their lives easier and far more exciting. Therefore is seems as though
technology will be at the forefront of social neurosis and isolation. Individuals need to
decide what level of socialization is right for them.

14. References
dictionary.com
http://www.video-game-addiction.org/social-consequences.html
Glaser, Mark. (2007) How Cell Phones are Killing Face-to-Face
Interaction, PBS. Retrieved from:
http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/10/how-cell-phones-are-killing-face-to-face-intera
Hainer, Robert. Pros and Cons of Cell Phones. , Opposing Views.
Retrieved from:
http://science.opposingviews.com/pros-cons-cell-phones-12532.html
Lutfala, Andrew. (2011) Technology Poses Social Isolation, The Puget
Sound Trail. Retrieved from:
http://trail.pugetsound.edu/2011/10/technology-imposes-social-isolation/