I’ve noticed that many more people are claiming to be introverted nowadays. In fact, both my mother and sisters have described themselves as introverts (despite having many friends and frequently interacting with them), and I’ve heard of cases where people are asked to raise their hands in class if they’re introverts, and most people do. However, in my opinion, the rates of introversion and extroversion have not actually changed. Instead, what has changed is the format through which socialization occurs. In the past, when you wanted to interact with people, you had to meet in person and talk to them directly. However, with the advent of the internet and social media, this can all be done online. In fact, one could theoretically remain alone, indoors, their whole life, and still socialize with others on a daily basis.
As a result, many extroverts have simply replaced face-to-face interaction with face-to-screen interaction. My sisters carry their phones around wherever they go and check their Snapchat every five minutes, no matter what they were doing prior. They do video calls with their friends multiple times a week. My mother has admitted that she spends hours distractedly browsing social media during the day. They think that they are introverts simply because they aren’t sitting right next to people when they talk with them, or are using their keyboard instead of their mouths to transmit words. However, in my opinion, the true test for introversion is the following: take away all forms of social media for a month, while not interacting with anyone in real life. I would also disallow Reddit, parts of YouTube, reality TV, and anything that concerns people’s real lives. Would you be happy for the entire duration of that month in that solitude? If so, then you are indeed an introvert. While I can confidently say I would succeed (and I'm sure many users on here would as well), I guarantee that my mother, sisters, and many acquaintances who self-describe as "introverted" would miserably fail.
I do not think it's good or bad to be introverted or extroverted; there are pros and cons to both. That being said, I believe there is a severely inflated level of self-diagnosis of introversion in present times, and I think what I described above is a significant contributing factor.
As a result, many extroverts have simply replaced face-to-face interaction with face-to-screen interaction. My sisters carry their phones around wherever they go and check their Snapchat every five minutes, no matter what they were doing prior. They do video calls with their friends multiple times a week. My mother has admitted that she spends hours distractedly browsing social media during the day. They think that they are introverts simply because they aren’t sitting right next to people when they talk with them, or are using their keyboard instead of their mouths to transmit words. However, in my opinion, the true test for introversion is the following: take away all forms of social media for a month, while not interacting with anyone in real life. I would also disallow Reddit, parts of YouTube, reality TV, and anything that concerns people’s real lives. Would you be happy for the entire duration of that month in that solitude? If so, then you are indeed an introvert. While I can confidently say I would succeed (and I'm sure many users on here would as well), I guarantee that my mother, sisters, and many acquaintances who self-describe as "introverted" would miserably fail.
I do not think it's good or bad to be introverted or extroverted; there are pros and cons to both. That being said, I believe there is a severely inflated level of self-diagnosis of introversion in present times, and I think what I described above is a significant contributing factor.
