The Meaning of Friendship in a Social Networked World - Essay Example

Pattakos draws detailed information from the allegations of Aristotle, an ancient Greek philosopher who first explained the relevance of friendship. In his work, Pattakos begins by defining the meaning of friendship. According to Aristotle, friendship is “A single swell that dwells in two bodies.” Dr. Alex reveals the contrast between Aristotle’s definition and that of the contemporary world involving vast technological advancement. Social media such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, LinkedIn, and histogram play a significant role in shaping friendship in the modern world. Pattakos affirms that despite a vast connection to a large group of friends, the modern socializing platforms are not of certified quality as those in the ancient days described by Aristotle.

In his case, Pattakos, an author of the bestselling book internationally Prisoners of Our Thoughts, explains the relevance of every individual having a Facebook account. Pattakos provides detailed evidence while declaring his well-understood thesis in the second paragraph. In his thesis, Pattakos ascertains that electronic media currently replace the enjoyment of real human contact and interaction. The electric stimuli that are a typical form of shallow friendship as narrow social connections are in contrast to the type of true friendship described by Aristotle (Pattakos 1).

Aristotle placed more value on real friendship as an important determinant of a meaningful life. The modern association is largely losing its ascribed meaning as everything becomes digitalized. People including prominent leaders in the world fail to appreciate the role of friendship in shaping their social ties. The author explains the view of Zuckerberg a famous computer expert and Eduardo Saverin, a core founder of Facebook, who disputes the idea of a single soul dwelling in their two bodies. Pattakos seeks to establish the implication of technology such as Twitter on real friendship in modern life and its role in promoting meaningful existence addressed by Aristotle.

 As a result, the search for knowledge is the primary intrinsic motivation of man. Studies reveal that technological advancement contributes to losing friends reducing the number of trusted acquaintances that individuals could turn to and share vital information. Pattakos utilizes a mixed strategy of questions to make the reader relate to his argument and try to answer the rhetorical questions directly. The use of questionnaires is a crucial strategy for drawing meaningful information that any author is interested in gaining from the audience.