Readers discuss the Internet's impact on social life

Does the Internet augment or prevent meaningful human interaction? Tell us what you think.

In the May-June 2010 issue, Undergraduate columnist Spencer Lenfield ’12 assesses Internet forums, asking why their popularity among Harvard students dies out as suddenly as it initially snowballs. "It's thrilling to find that there's someone out there who thinks the same thoughts as you," he concludes, "but, in the end, it's not very helpful." Read the column, and then tell us:

 

What has been your experience with online social interaction? Does the Internet augment and enable your social life, or is it simply a tool for procrastination and the avoidance of real, meaningful human contact?

 

See what other readers are saying, and then join the conversation by leaving your own comment. (This discussion is moderated, so your comment may not appear immediately.)

Related topics

You might also like

Plus, veteran higher education leader Thomas Ehrlich reflects on university curricula for his 70th reunion

TKTKTKT Bunny Love Questionnaire

Tell us a story about the unique relationships between the animals in your life.

Making Waves with Philosophy

A conversation with Harvard professor Michael Sandel

Most popular

All That’s Unseen charts the Harvard graduate’s uneasy journey from Appalachia to Cambridge and back.  

Social Media Use and Adult Depression

A survey reveals suprising links between social media use and depression in adults.

The University will compensate families of those whose remains were sold and establish a scholarship to honor anatomical donors.

Explore More From Current Issue

Colorful cartoon animals, including dogs, cows, rabbits, and a fence, on a pink background.

Inseparable cows, big dogs fostering a tiny kitten, and a show beagle’s second act

Two laboratory researchers, one seated and one standing, in a scientific lab with equipment.

The stakes are high for this husband and wife: one of them will die if they don’t find a cure.

A woman with curly blonde hair sits casually against a stone wall, wearing a black top and jeans.

Chloe Chapin trains her Broadway costume designer’s eye on the history of men’s fashion.