The internet has significantly reduced depth in human relations

The internet has significantly reduced depth in human relations

The internet remains one of the significant factors that has influenced development across the world. The present society is defined by different aspects which have resulted from the increased use of the internet. The development of technology is hinged on the various strategies that have been used in exploring the usefulness of the internet as a resource. The increased use of the internet has also led to different issues in society, and one of the affected areas has been human relationships. The internet has played a significant role in defining the depth of human relationships. The internet has significantly reduced depth in human relations.

Human beings are generally considered as asocial beings. The value of being social animals implies that human relationships are based on the need to interact and share different aspects of their lives. Tokunaga (2017) discusses that human nature is majorly influenced by the need to share and gain different experiences through personal interactions. A challenge emerges in the widespread adoption of the internet as a means of communication. The depth of human relationships is defined by the level of interaction that is shared among given groups or individuals (Hu et al., 2017). The expectation is that the given relationships should be based on open communication, openness, and overt displays of affection (Lenhart & Duggan, 2014). The depth of a relationship is established through the given interactions between the people. The internet has, in different ways, reduced these levels of communication.

Human relationships are enhanced through the attention that is provided among individuals. Tokunaga (2017) notes that any interaction requires one to remain attentive and less distracted, especially when conversing or sharing intimate moments with another person (Frison & Eggermont, 2016). While the relationship may not be romantic, there is a need for undivided attention during every personal interaction. The internet has limited the ability of people to be attentive by providing unending distractions (Lin et al., 2016). One of the most significant distractions comes from the social media sites that many people are often logged into. Research also indicates that many people spend most of their time on the internet instead of having meaningful moments with those around them. The cumulative effect of these distractions is an impaired relationship that lacks the depth that it should ordinarily have.

Technological advancements have also led to increased use of the internet. There is a level of pervasiveness that emerges with the increased use of the internet, especially social media sites. Research by Schofield & Davidson (2017) opines that the different platforms are some of the leading causes of self-esteem and self-image issues in society. These are factors that affect the quality of relationships that people tend to develop in the community (Whiteside et al., 2018). A critical notion that emerges from the internet is the need to live up to given standards (Sen, 2016). usually, these standards are considered as the ideal value of life. The impact is that people are more likely to struggle to fit in the perceived high standards at the expense of their relationships. The depth of human relationships decreases significantly because it is no longer pegged on human qualities, preferably, the expectations on the internet (Penn, 2015).

The internet has reduced the depths of human relationships through communication. The discussion of communication and the role of the internet highlights vital advantages that have been established, including speed and quick feedback (Sen, 2016). These are the positive elements of communication that emerge from the internet. However, the growth of the virtual interface has gradually diminished the value of personal connection. Research by Penn (2015) indicates that many people across the globe prefer to communicate over the internet to one on one conversations. Different critics have also pointed out there is an element of relationship and understanding that emerges in person to person communication compared to the virtual communication over the internet (Cheever et al., 2014). The personal touch of communication is lost, and the emotions behind the words are also lost. Human interaction is based on the ability to see the emotions on the face of the other individual and to experience the influence of their presence (Halpern & Katz, 2017). This is something that has been lost since society started picking virtual communication such as Skype at the expense of one on one interactions. Defective communication reduces the depth of human communication.

The internet has reduced the depth of human relationships through the modifications that people can access online. Penn (2015) argues that the advent of the internet has facilitated the development of applications that are often used to manipulate one’s physical features to match given standards. Filters are among the latest additions on the internet, and almost every person with an internet-enabled phone can access these features. The use of these filters is to distort the image of an individual to add or hide certain features that are undesirable (Cheever et al., 2014). While there could be little wrong in using these filters, the reliance on filters has led to misconceptions, especially in terms of the impressions that people create having used them. Halpern & Katz (2017) note that there is an element of fakeness that comes from the use of filters that is not found in relationships off of the internet. It has become almost impossible to encounter real people using their authentic images on the internet. The implication is that many relationships have started while pegged on enhanced pictures and not the actual appearance of the different individuals. Such links lack depth as the interaction is devoid of honesty and reality, as witnessed in offline relationships.

The danger of the internet lies in the possibility of creating wrong impressions, distractions, time consumption, and a lack of connection in relationships. Depth is created through the experiences that people create in their relationships, and these are things that require spending time together. The challenge, however, is that the internet has limited the actual amount of time that people spend together, considering that many people are often on the internet surfing away. The internet has, therefore, robbed relationships of the quality time and effort, which would contribute to the acquisition of depth in these relationships. The intimacy that should influence human relationships has also been lost, thanks to the increased time spent on the internet. The internet has significantly reduced the depth of almost all human relationships.