Social media has developed into an important part of the society today. It is one of the most used forms of communications due to its convenience and the ability to pass a message to an individual or a group of people. Some of the social media platforms used for communication include Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram. The applications are accessed through the use of mobile or computer devices on one's comfort thereby improving the efficiency of communication. However, the online interaction and the use of social media platforms to interact have some adverse effects on the users and the nature of communication in general. Before the onset of social media, the most used forms of communication relied on social interaction. Today, people can share thoughts and converse through social media from different parts of the world. Many people believe that social media has played a significant role in hindering social skills that are important in communication thus implicating the well-being of the society.
Social communication has greatly suffered due to the invention of social media. Anderson et al. (2014) pointed out that it is important to note that through social skills and interaction, people are at an increased advantage of succeeding in life. Children and adolescents mainly develop these skills as they go about their daily endeavors. However, social media severely limits interaction and communication between children especially at the most crucial time of their lives. Researchers have shown that the communication behind cell phones and computers affects an individual because they hardly utilize their body language and social cues, which are two important tenets in the process of social interaction. Therefore, there is an increased fear that with the heightened use of social media, the future generations will possess poor communication and social skills.
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The extensive use of social media in communication also has an impact language, which is an important social tenet. While sending text messages through the various social media sites, there is a tendency to use shorthand or shortened version of words and phrases. It is a typical behavior especially among the younger generations who would want to deliver information as quickly as possible. The use of words such as "asap" instead of the familiar words has become so common that they have been accepted as part of the speech. However, people used to this form of communication can end up having difficulties with the real-life interaction and interpersonal communication. It also promotes illiteracy, something that has broader implications in the society today.
Communication in the social media arena also tends to act as a substitute for the real-life experiences in the world. A study conducted revealed that approximately 11% of adults would prefer to remain at home in the weekends and post on social media about their experiences, instead of moving out and acquiring the real-life practices (Anderson et al. 2014). Researchers have agreed that communication is on the verge of a serious evolution. People are getting accustomed to a frequent and quick exchange of messages and updates and increasingly become less interested in lengthy chats that require physical presence. Therefore, this increases the tendency to remain at home in the comfort of an individual, something that promotes introvert behavior and further affecting the essence of a society.
The use of the social media platforms in communication also leads to several unethical and antisocial practices such as cyber-bullying. Such activities are regarded as one of the major causes of diminished social skills amongst the teenagers. The online platforms provide the benefit of communication at any time of the day. Therefore, due to the anonymity involved, some people will eventually develop the urge to cause problems. Bullying becomes much more common and more natural to execute. A common way of harassment consists of the sending or harsh and abusive messages that might lower the self-esteem of an individual. As such, the bullied social media user will have problems in interaction and will live in perpetual fear of harassment in the online platforms. The implication is that the affected individuals will not develop adequate social skills required in meaningful communications in the society.
Numerous research and studies have also shown that online interaction affects interpersonal communication. People are showing lack of interest in the face-to-face contact as more social media platforms continue to take center-stage. Many young people would nowadays tend to solve their social problems through online dialogue and interaction. Research has indicated that a whopping 93% of interaction today is nonverbal (Lapidot-Lefler & Barak, 2012). As a result, there is an increased need for people to develop new ways of ensuring that people understand each other. Interpersonal communication suffers a great deal due to lack of emotions and expressions as would have been in real life. Social media platforms destroy the natural characteristics of communication, which ideally require both verbal and non-verbal cues to ensure that emotions and expressions accompany the message.
Despite the general opinion amongst scholars and researchers that communication has greatly suffered in the wake of the social media use, others have argued that social media indeed plays a significant role in improving communication. Regarding the social skills, a survey conducted showed that 59% of the respondents felt that communication through social media has brought them closer to their friends, family members, and business partners (Best, Manktelow & Taylor, 2014). People with similar interests come together, and they can contact one another without any physical restraint. The social networks created, therefore, compensate for the social skills that people would develop when engaging in real-life communication. Studies have shown that social skills are hardly acquired in the online platforms. Ethically, it would be difficult for one to determine whether they share similar values and morals with an individual they have met online due to the likelihood of dishonesty.
As earlier noted, language is an essential part of socialization in the real-life setting. Without language, there is no meaningful communication. A group of scholars, however, agree that social media has a vital role in developing language. They assert that the peer socialization improves the likelihood to enhance the literary skills. They further intimate that the press has additional reading materials and information, which can enhance language command. However, it is important to note that ethical communication must show accuracy at all times, something that social media platforms have failed to take into consideration. The use of shorthand and shortened phrases can distort the message thereby implicating on the accuracy of information. Due to anonymity, users are likely to apply vulgar or even abusive language that further deteriorates social skills and cues (Lapidot-Lefler, & Barak, 2012).
There is a contemporary scholarly body of research that asserts that the rise of social media cannot affect interpersonal communication. As earlier intimated, interpersonal communication has both the verbal and non-verbal cues. In an attempt to ensure that online discussion appeals to emotions and expressions, social media sites have come up with the use of emoji. An emoji is a small digital icon or an image used to express feelings or ideas when communicating electronically. Ethically speaking, this cannot compensate for the lack of the non-verbal skills utilized in the real-life. Ethics in communication emphasize the need for honesty in interaction, which can come under intense question when two people are communicating in an online platform. Therefore, it would only be accurate to note that interpersonal communication will only be realized when people have face-to-face engagement where all verbal and non-verbal cues can be assessed using all the five senses (Lapidot-Lefler & Barak, 2012).
Another primary counterargument with regards to the role of social media in implicating communication is that the online platforms positively impact relationships amongst individuals. It is particularly important for teenagers who undergo a lot of stress, confusion and learning at the same time. The strong relationships developed in the social media arena can enable the young to share the experiences and cope with the power of communication. Best, Manktelow & Taylor, (2014) noted that the connectedness creates a sense of community, which further fosters social skills and improves an understanding of society. Nevertheless, through the lenses of ethics, this is a narrow argument that fails to take into consideration some of the critical aspects that come with online communication such as bullying. It is difficult to create positive relationships where strangers interact because there is a high possibility of unethical behavior such as harassment and use of intimidating or abusive language.
In conclusion, Many people believe that social media has played a significant role in hindering social skills that are important in communication thereby implicating the well-being of the society. Studies show that indeed, communication has suffered a great deal mainly with the advancement of social media. Social skills and cues have been eroded as people prefer to remain within their comforts as they engage others who are in different locations through the online connection. Other problems associated with the social media include the increased chances of bullying and the lack of non-verbal cues. Technological development will continue to happen, and this means the young generation, especially the millennial will find difficulties to appreciate the importance of social communication due to a lack of exposure to the necessary skills of interaction.
References
Anderson, A. A., Brossard, D., Scheufele, D. A., Xenos, M. A., & Ladwig, P. (2014). The “nasty effect:” Online Incivility and Risk Perceptions of Emerging Technologies. Journal of Computer‐Mediated Communication, 19(3), 373-387.
Best, P., Manktelow, R., & Taylor, B. (2014). Online Communication, Social Media, and Adolescent Well-being: A Systematic Narrative Review . Children and Youth Services Review, 41, 27-36.
Lapidot-Lefler, N., & Barak, A. (2012). Effects of Anonymity, Invisibility, and lack of Eye-contact on Toxic Online Disinhibition. Computers in human behavior, 28(2), 434-443.
