In the modern world, individuals could say that with all the technology, information, and news outlets, friendship could be a thing of the past. In today's world, individuals have so much information and messaging surrounding them that it could impact their view of friendship. When looking around at our public places today, people everywhere have a cell phone looking at facebook, news feeds, and text messages; however, no one is talking to the other person face to face. While friendship does not benefit everyone, friendship is likely to be affected negatively because of the uses of social media, the contemporary role of spirituality, and workplace friendship play in people’s lives.
Firstly, individuals might think social media has negatively impacted friendship. Individuals might say that social media has the most substantial impact is a perspective that “social websites harm children's brains” (Vernon, 2010, p. 106). However, another individual might spend most of there free time online, the damage caused to the brain is no reversible, resulting in damage to nerves and connections inside the brain (Vernon, 2010, p. 107). A view that if we start children off to early with technology that they may not have the ability to talk face to face because of the damage caused at a young age. Some individuals could say that one could become inept if they do not learn how to interact with face-to-face interaction (Vernon, 2010, p. 121). It paints a picture that if someone spends to much time on social media that it impacts in areas of face-to-face, problem-solving, and physical impacts of social interaction.
Secondly, individuals view how the contemporary role of spirituality of friendship is viewed negatively; however, individuals might say “spirituality of friendship is not something that can simply be ceded” (Vernon, 2010, p. 222). Making a point that some individuals still think that “spirituality can be seen to have an influence on the ethical climate of organizations (Nair, Sivakumar, 2018, p. 9). It provides us with a statement that the individuals in organizations see that spirituality is an influencer that has an impact on friendship; however, “stress prevailing in the workplace is another important catalyst for the introduction of workplace spirituality” (Nair, Sivakumar, 2018, p. 8). It is not only an issue in organizations and workplaces but the mainstream notions of friendship, the individual approach to one’s quality of life or one’s beliefs ( Vernon, 2010, p.222). These views of the spirituality of friendship have impacted the contemporary role and will continue to affect the way individuals think of spirituality of friendship.
Finally, individuals view of how workplace friendship plays a vital role in people’s lives. A “good friend is that they are always there for you and thus have a kind of unconditional utility” (Vernon, 2010, p.23); however, what this hurts is friendships in the workplace. When looking at workplace relationships, “organizational settings, [and] relationships with peers significantly influence key employee outcomes” (Pillemer, Rothbard, 2018, p. 636). It is a fact that“research has demonstrated the paradox that rewarding personal connections at work can also lead to detrimental outcomes for both friends and those outside the friendship” (Pillemer, Rothbard, 2018, p. 636). These relationships in the workplace can have impacts on “social exchange and clique formation suggests that we should also consider the effects on those outside these bonds, as well as on the organization’s functioning” (Pillemer, Rothbard, 2018, p. 639). It is creating an extensive path of dismay not only for the employee, employer, but the others inside and outside the workplace.
Lastly, the fate of friendship is likely to be affected negatively in contemporary ethics-based off of the effects of social media, spirituality, and the workplace on people’s lives. These factors can be stressors that start from how an individual might spend most of there free time online, the lack of human interaction, how spirituality affects friendships in the workplace, and relationships with peers significantly influence key employee outcomes. All these things have a direct impact on how one might view friendships; however, like everything thing, it is up to the individuals involved to determine what an outcome might be.
References
Nair, R. S., & Sivakumar, V. (2018). Investigating the Impact of Workplace Spirituality on Ethical Climate. IUP Journal of Organizational Behavior, 17(3), 7–27. Retrieved from https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=131598360&site=eds-live&scope=site
Pillemer, J., & Rothbard, N. P. (2018). Friends Without Benefits: Understanding the Dark Sides of Workplace Friendship. Academy of Management Review, 43(4), 635–660. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2016.0309
Vernon, M. (2010). The Meaning of Friendship. New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan.