Welcome back to Reading the Research! Each week I trawl the Internet to find noteworthy research on autism and related subjects to share with you. Along the way I discuss the findings with bits from my own life, research, and observations.
Today’s article about online social support strikes me as both important and disappointing. The rise of social media has made staying in touch (or at least adjacent) to the people you know easier. My hope was that this would also mean better support networks for everyone. In theory, the more people you have in your network, the more expertise you can call on in times of need. Also, the broader you can spread your emergencies. The relationships in your network need to be meaningful to be properly supportive, though. I’d rather hoped that the Internet would still provide that.
According to this article, it seems this is not the case. Or at least it’s not usually the case when it comes to seeking support with difficult situations while addicted to social media. This is a fairly narrowly focused piece of research. Given that at least a third of my friends show signs of social media addiction, though, it seems all-too-relevant.
My guess is that people are trying to meet their social needs by way of the Internet, rather than investing in the time, pain, and effort of in-person relationships. I’m not sure exactly what makes the difference measured in this study. Is it that online people are less people to us? Is it the lack of “reality,” such as not being able to touch or see others? The study doesn’t say.
Personally, Then and Now
I wrote a post about what a social life could or should look like a few years back. Reading it now, I’m disappointed about where I’m at compared to that time. I had regular meetups with friends and family, including built-in exercise. In all honesty, I’d like all that back.
Realistically speaking I really can’t blame anyone for losing much of it. Not even myself. No one predicted exactly when the coronavirus would strike, and no one in power was listening to the scientists that predicted there would be a pandemic event like this. Online meetups can only help so much, compared to in-person activities. And I’m also not much of a planner, since I’m typically overwhelmed. Change is hard for me, just like it is for most autistic people.
I think a lot of people have retreated to Internet-only or Internet-mostly communication during the lockdown. The concern for personal safety and the safety of others meant keeping away from events. Many people, myself included, also avoided close friends and family while we waited to hear what contact, if any, was safe.
With the vaccine rolling out, it’s becoming much safer to spend time with others. At this point, I’ve completed the vaccination process. So I guess it’s time to start trying to pick up the pieces and establish in-person meetups and connections again.
Hopefully I can get back to that place of stability and connectedness soon.
(Pst! If you like seeing the latest autism-relevant research, visit my Twitter! There are links and comments on studies that were interesting, but didn’t get a whole Reading the Research article about them.)
realisticautistic 