Impact of Social Media on Communication
Personal conversations offer more effective communication since the parties are in a position to learn the authenticity of the information being provided. The development of social media has come to ruin the formality of communication. Social media has been a major cause for the ruined communication etiquette noticed in communication. The most unfortunate bit of the impact of social media is that individuals do not notice when social media affects their face to face communication. The most affected group in the social media era is the adolescent group. However, social media is an improvement in communication if individuals do not get obsessed with staying concentrated on their devices.
Human beings are social beings and need to relate with each other frequently. Face-to-face communication is always the best form of communication since it is based on reality. The ability to see the facial expressions, tone variations, as well as eye contact brings a feeling of liveliness to communication (Oberst et al. 57). Relationships based on face-to-face communication tend to be strong because individuals do not hide their feelings easily. However, the introduction of social media creates an avenue for hiding behind feelings and emotions with individuals not living to the reality of their lives. Relationships tend to grow weaker if communication is done through social media. However, social media is not only based on negativity but has improved communication.
Social media is an improvement to communication, although precaution is needed to avoid obsession. The traditional methods of communication were effective for short-distance relationships (Brooks, 27). However, social media has improved the interaction of individuals over long distances. For example, family members can stay in touch from a distance without the need of traveling every time. Also, the ease of spreading information cannot be overlooked since information is crucial for human activities (Kwahk, Young and Park, 827). Information can be transmitted from one point to another with ease with the development of technology and social media. The benefits of social media are however, subject to the precaution taken to avoid obsession.
Obsession with social media may destroy human relationships. Individuals who are obsessed with social media tend to have poor face-to-face communication skills. Relationships require reality moments where individuals express their feelings and emotions without hiding behind any platform (Coyne et al. 113). Therefore, individuals should be careful to avoid getting used to relying on social media at the expense of their communication skills. Also, social media should not be accorded much time at the expense of other important activities, such as studies or parenting.
In sum, social media can be termed as a necessary evil whose benefits depend on the attention paid to the technology. Social media can be blamed for the destruction of human relationships and the loss of face-to-face communication culture. Individuals who spend much time on social media end up losing interest in face-to-face communication and may destroy their relationships with close people. However, social media has led to improvements in the field of communication, and the benefits can be fully enjoyed if the necessary precautions are taken. Individuals should balance the time given to social media with the time required for other important activities such as studies and parenting.
Works Cited
Brooks, Stoney. “Does personal social media usage affect efficiency and well-being?.” Computers in Human Behavior 46 (2015): 26-37.
Coyne, Sarah M., et al. “Parenting and digital media.” Pediatrics 140.Supplement 2 (2017): S112-S116.
Kwahk, Kee-Young, and Do-Hyung Park. “The effects of network sharing on knowledge-sharing activities and job performance in enterprise social media environments.” Computers in Human Behavior 55 (2016): 826-839.
Oberst, Ursula, et al. “Negative consequences from heavy social networking in adolescents: The mediating role of fear of missing out.” Journal of adolescence 55 (2017): 51-60.