Question

People who object to the use of social media are like people long ago who insisted that the telephone would destroy personal relationships."

What are ways in which these two scenarios are similar and ways in which they are different to decide whether this analogy makes a good argument, and what’s your conclusion?

A. Both involve technological innovations; the impact on personal relationships may differ.
B. Both involve personal preferences; the historical con may vary.
C. Both involve societal concerns; the degree of influence on relationships may differ.
D. Both involve communication tools; the historical objections may not be comparable.

Answer 1

The objections to social media are akin to those towards the telephone due to their innovative nature as communication tools affecting personal relationships, with similarities in societal concerns. However, their impacts on relationships and cultural norms differ, with social media's implications being broader than the telephone's.

Step-by-step explanation:

The analogy comparing the objections to social media with the initial skepticism towards the telephone highlights the apprehension that often accompanies technological advancements and their impact on personal relationships. Both the telephone and social media are significant communication tools that revolutionized the way people interact. The similarities lie in their innovative nature and the fears that they may negatively affect personal interactions. While both technologies have indeed transformed communication, the differences are in the scale and scope. Social media has introduced a much broader platform for public and private engagement, transcending the one-on-one nature of telephone conversations.

Telephones have historically changed the dynamic of communication by making long-distance interaction possible, effectively shrinking geographical barriers. Social media, however, not only overcomes distance but also adds layers of complexity to relationships through features like instant messaging, status updates, and broad social networks that can be maintained with minimal effort. Moreover, social media can impact social behavior and create new cultural norms around privacy, identity, and social engagement. Therefore, while objections to both technologies arise from concerns over personal relationships, the historical context and the actual impact may indeed differ significantly.

In conclusion, the telephone and social media are indeed analogous with regard to being pivotal technological innovations in communication. However, the social, psychological, and cultural implications of social media are arguably more pronounced, making historical objections to the telephone not entirely comparable to those of social media.