Please, call me!

I was ready to change the subject from Facebook and talk about viral video, which would be the topic of my Advanced Digital and Emerging media class at NYU but I just couldn’t do it without this last post.
 
This week it was my birthday and of course, on that dates we always expect lots of calls from friends and family. Yet, this was not exactly what happened with me.  Instead of the calls, people just posted a message on my Facebook or Orkut!
 
Obviously, I was happy with all the birthday wishes through the website anyway and one could argue that some people only remembered it was my birthday because of Facebook. However, it made me think how communication and relationship between people has changed overtime.
 
This is not a new topic I know, and this has been debated as social media becomes more and more in vogue, but if we stop to think about how it has transformed our habits and the way we interact with other people, the reality becomes more evident.
 
While I believe that social media is a great way to interact and even, virtually “meet” new people, I also believe that it has prevent people from real “live” conversations which are very important for our socialization and ability to life in society.
 
Humans are social creatures. Think of how great you feel after sharing a laugh with a good friend. Through our relationships, we are sustained in our personal growth and development. 
 
So, this makes me think that “real” human interactions should never be replaced, but only enhanced through the use of social networks. Oh, and please, remember to call me next time, it can be on Skype if you prefer… : -)