Effect of Social Media on Real-Life Communications
Social media undoubtedly affects many areas of human activity, and real-life communication is one of them. Online media sources allow people to stay in touch and avoid meeting others in real life, which is a useful option for many men and women. However, along with such negative aspects as reducing the time of live interaction, social media also have a positive impact as they allow you to initiate and support real-life communication.
Many people complain that real-life communication is replaced by social media, which reduces people’s social skills; however, this is not true. According to Subramanian, live conversations have declined due to people’s frequent use of social media, but she also says that lack of time impedes communication (70, 74). Therefore social media is a tool for maintaining interaction within time limits. However, some people believe that the frequent use of social networks causes a person’s communication skills to degrade in real life, and, after a while, he or she “forgets” how to maintain a conversation and becomes less self-confident. Indeed, some people prefer messaging to live chat, so they feel more comfortable and confident online, but this preference is caused by poor communication skills in real life but does not lead to them. Miller also confirms this statement as she conducted research with high school students, and determined that the use of social media does not affect their communication skills (252). Therefore, a person’s interaction depends only on his or her abilities and does not deteriorate due to online communication.
At the same time, social media also have a positive effect on real-life communication as they help to initiate meetings. Firstly, today it’s quite simple to find old friends and acquaintances by using social networks and making an appointment or keeping in touch with them. The coronavirus pandemic demonstrates that a long period of online communication without the possibility of meeting only increased the desire of most people to meet in person. Secondly, people who have penpals at some point also show a willingness to meet in person, but without using social networks, they could not even know each other. A vivid example of the positive effect of social networks is also the Tinder application, in which people find and meet strangers to spend time with them in real life. At the same time, asking a person out by using social media is much easier than in real life, as there is less awkwardness, pressure, and fear of being embarrassed. Therefore, social media expand the opportunities for first acquaintance and further communication in real life.
In conclusion, social media have a significant positive impact on real-life communication because they help people connect when face-to-face communication is challenging. Online interaction allows people to be more confident and recognize their interlocutors to save valuable time by avoiding personal meetings if they do not bring joy and benefit. At the same time, social media does not affect a person’s communication skills or desire for real-life interaction. Consequently, social media, in most cases, have only a positive impact on communication.
Works Cited
Miller, Lindsey J., “The Effect of Social Media Use on Interpersonal Communications Skills and Self-Esteem in High School Students” (2015). South Carolina Junior Academy of Science, 2015, 252. Web.
Subramanian, Kalpathy. “Influence of Social Media in Interpersonal Communication.” International Journal of Scientific Progress and Research (IJSPR), vol. 38, no. 2, 2017, pp. 70–75.