According to the United States Census, there are more than 7 billion people currently living in the world (U.S. and World Population Clock). Eight million of them live in New York City and over thirty-seven million reside in Tokyo (World City Populations 2021). If trends continue the way they currently are, the world population is projected to reach over eleven billion at the turn on the century (United Nations). There are a vast numbers of reasons for why this increasing population poses a threat on all human kind. Earth will no longer be able to sustain the growing number and every possible resource will be depleted. All of these things are being considered when people discuss population growth, but no one seems to ever consider another major component of our expanding society, the effect it has on our mental health.
Humans are the strongest animal because of our ability to adapt to a variety of situations each and every day. While this skill allows us to move, travel, and interact with one another, but it doesn’t mean we have the ability to entirely shift the way our brains are wired. We are conditioned to think in the same way our hunger-gather ancestors did. While those communities maxed out at around 200 people, (Conniff, 2005), our societies have moved into the billions. However, our brains haven’t changed at all. We have a desire to socialize and interact with one another, but can often become overwhelmed with the amount of options there are. This can lead to loneliness even in the busiest of cities. In order to combat this issue, many people have taken to the internet and begun to establish virtual communities. Through the use of social media, anyone can contact anyone at anytime. While this may contradict the overwhelming feeling associated with crowed cities, the idea that you can be physical alone but still have someone to talk to seems to balance our need for interaction without causing overstimulation. Many people who live in cities experience stimulus overload. This leads to feeling as though you’re unable to respond to everything that surrounds you and instead you chose specific things to focus on (Gruman, Schneider, & Coutts, 2016). Without realizing it, this may cause us to psychologically retreat and fulfil our social needs with the internet.
There are a variety of apps that currently allow for humans to communicate with anyone else in the world. Social media sites like Reddit, Tumblr, or Facebook gave people the opportunity to seek out those who are similar to them and create an online community that mimics what would normally occur in smaller societies. We reach out to those who we can relate to, it’s how almost anyone becomes friends, and the internet has made this task even simpler. If I want to find others who enjoy gardening or gaming, all I have to do is join a subreddit or Facebook group and I’m instantly surrounded by those interested in the same topics. I no longer have to actively seek out new friends in my daily life, they are simply made for me once I find a common crowd through social media. This instant gratification seems so convenient in the moment but can lead to impatience over time (Samuel, 2017). Plus, even though online societies are multiplying by the minute, research shows people are generally less social and have a harder time forming significant relationships with others (Gruman, Schneider, & Coutts, 2016). Even though many of us subscribe to a number of social media sites, we often simply observe what’s going on, without actually becoming active participants. According to Matook, Cummings, and Bala (2015), this passive use can lead to increased loneliness. It’s not simply enough to be a part of the online society, one has to actually participate in it to reap it’s benefits.
When people make the effort to actively participate in the online communities they have become a part of, loneliness is decreased and there are many benefits one can take advantage of (Matook, Cummings, and Bala 2015). Online self help groups provide those in need with accurate information and support for those suffering from a common challenge (Gruman, Schneider, & Coutts, 2016). Online therapy even exists now allowing people to receive counseling without having to leave the house. These groups and conversations can help many people but also bring anonymity and confidentiality into question. Once something is posted online, it’s there forever, even after it’s deleted or removed. Private groups don’t actually exists and there is always the threat that personal information could be taken advantage of. Unlike telling a few friends a secret and relying on them to remain loyal, anyone can join a group and screenshot an internet post to be uploaded to other sites in a matter of minutes. Active use of social media sites can allow people to feel less alone, but only if they’re used ethically each time.
The more people that enter this earth, the more problems we will continue to see in regards to community socialization. Social media may provide some relief to the overstimulated human brain, but it certainly isn’t the clear answer.
References:
Conniff, R. (2005). The Ape in the Corner Office: Understanding the Workplace Beast in All of Us. New York.: Crown Business.
Gruman, J. A., Schneider, F. W., & Coutts, L. M. (Eds.). (2016). Applied social psychology : Understanding and addressing social and practical problems. SAGE Publications.
Matook, S., Cummings, J., & Bala, H. (2015). Are You Feeling Lonely? The Impact of Relationship Characteristics and Online Social Network Features on Loneliness. Journal of Management Information Systems, 31(4), 278–310. https://doi-org.ezaccess.libraries.psu.edu/10.1080/07421222.2014.1001282
Samuel, A. (2017, February 7). What’s so bad about instant gratification? JSTOR DAILY. Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://daily.jstor.org/whats-bad-instant-gratification/.
United Nations. (n.d.). World population projected to reach 9.8 billion in 2050, and 11.2 billion in 2100. United Nations. Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://www.un.org/development/desa/en/news/population/world-population-prospects-2017.html.
U.S. and World Population Clock. United States Census Bureau. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://www.census.gov/popclock/.
World City Populations 2021. World Population Review. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://worldpopulationreview.com/world-cities.