In my new book “Jolt!” I report that psychologists are trying to have “Internet Addiction” broadly classified as a clinical disorder. Well today, the Associated Press reported that pediatricians are warning about “Facebook Depression” – especially among young people with poor self-esteem. The problem? Seeing everyone else’s great status updates, fun pictures, and happy comments, only reminds some people of how miserable their lives really are. AP says that it’s not that different from the old days of sitting alone in a school cafeteria while everyone else had plenty of friends.
True or not, it’s another good example that new technology doesn’t fix old emotions. Someone recently said that this is the most connected generation in history, but also the loneliest. It never hurts to be reminded that communication isn’t a technology problem – it’s a people problem. And to make real change happen in organizations or in culture, we have to change people first.
