People spend an increasing amount of time online. This means that some people are not comfortable in social situations in which they are face to face with others. What are the effects of this phenomenon? What are some possible solutions to this problem?

Prior to the advent of digital communication, individuals had no choice but to speak face to face with others. Today, however, one can virtually go one’s whole life exclusively chatting online and sending texts. This has led to growing socially incompetence. In the following paragraphs, I will expound on the implications of this issue, before offering possible resolutions. There are some blatant and obvious effects of this problem. To my mind, the most glaring is that social anxiety will lead to a life of isolation, as actually meeting and establishing relationships with peers will be impossible. In fact, a recent NPR story reported that over 60% of those aged 21 to 38 admitted to having no friends they could call in an emergency. The reporter further noted that, among this age group, there were significantly higher incidences of depression and medicated medical issues, stemming from an absence of social connectedness. As to the viable solutions, I feel the most potent would be establishing an innovative government policy which would require all children and teenagers to attend group classes at their local community center. More specifically, these lessons should feature wide-ranging subjects, ensuring the motivated and engaged participation of pupils, such as skateboarding, painting, or even board games such as Clue and Monopoly. Furthermore, the mentors and moderators of the classes would facilitate collaboration, encouraging positive social interaction. In sum, I maintain that the anonymity of the internet has directly led to a society of socially inept, anxiety-laden loners. In the future, I sincerely wish that more people learn how to engage with other humans in a comfortable and healthy way.