When I discovered that there was a word for my personality type, i.e. “Introversion”, I felt a weight lifted off of my shoulders. I no longer felt alone. Not once did I consider it a disorder, because it’s a personality type. Naturally, I started backtracking to every relationship I had in the past to look again with new eyes. A few memories made sense, some did not. As I continued my education, I began to put a few more pieces together. Life in general helped fill in the rest. To get to this this point I asked the critical question: Was it me? Well, I was surprised how little my introversion played back then, and what that has taught me.
Social Media and The Generation Gap
Social media is effecting social interaction and redefining the social skills of the generation growing up with the technology. To add to the mix, some baby boomers and many of their elders are still coping with the digital world’s impact on social interaction. Introverts have probably had one of their rants thrown in their direction, God knows I have. “She’s too quiet” ,“She needs to talk more” “You need to go out like other gals.” Don’t take it personally. Like homosexuality, cancer, and being an only child, it’s one of those statuses that has since lost their negative diagnosis and to which these generations must adjust their mindset. The may never understand how much social media has helped introverts’ social lives.
Culture
While we’re on the subject of social changes, I must point out on factor that has an impact on social skills regardless of technology – Culture. The way people express one another socially will vary among cultures and in a nation of immigrants, cultural clash will occur. For example, Russians will not smile at strangers, which they find “insincere”, preserving such gestures for close friends. Japan’s entire social structure is shaped around introversion. In contrast, United States is still an extroverted culture, so naturally, Japan is often portrayed in US media as “emotionless” negatively or “shy” positively. In return, their portrayals of Americans are boisterous loudmouths. Dont fret though (hehe, like my slang?), being an introvert can prove a pretty positive learning experience for both sides. For instance, while abroad in the Whitby, UK, I was mistaken for Canadian by a local couple because their perception of an American was more like a loud pushy Texan...
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