Advance in technology has led to more human interaction from across all backgrounds. Connections established via the social media have opened up the world for information sharing and building of relationships. Today, extensive use of media social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram has created linkages that would not have otherwise occurred between individuals and firms. The main advantage of online networking has been the fact that it offsets the barrier of long distances. Thus, in the current world, you can interact with a friend at the click of a button in the comfort of wherever location you may be.
Teenagers and young adults derive more pleasure in online interactions than face-to-face exchanges. Over 80 % of adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17 averagely have 300 friends on social media platforms. In reality, among these friends, they have only made face-to-face contact with less than a quarter of them. Virtual online friendships have thus overwritten the value of intimate relationships. Far from this, it is easier to connect with distant family members and schoolmates via the social media than having to travel all the way for an exchange.
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Most teenagers resolve to attach more importance on friendships acquired through social media simply for the gratification of their ego. Status updates and the number of likes, and the pokes that one makes in a day on their timeline are a key attraction of friendship requests. Unfortunately, most online relationships are superficial, and it 's hard to establish an intimate connection like the one that could be sourced from close contact communication. More so, it is hard to determine the realities surrounding one’s life based on what they post on social media. Many internet users post updates that conceal negative emotions and experiences.
Social support from friends made through the internet can be used to offer consolation during difficult times. Some people feel more free in sharing their inner struggles with the virtual friends they have never met than talking to someone they know. This offers some form of psychotherapy and has been attributed to helping internet acquaintances achieve recovery from miserable circumstances. Other social media consumers testify that close communications on a face-to-face level offer more passionate support than online caching or video calling via Skype.
Losing on the importance to connect with people close to an individual has been an important impact of digital communication. Texting has become the most common mode of communication. On average, teens send over 3000 text messages per month, and this can be used to deduce the time they dedicate to virtual friendships at the cost of real interpersonal contact with peers. This creates a gap in parenting, which has to be filled by regulation of the time children should spend on the screens of their computers and phones. Apart from creating a deficit in real contact relations, social media has conferred the challenge of the easy spread of unethical content. It is distressing and hurtful for friends to share personal information without the consent of the owner. This can bring about social media drama and friendships may fall apart. For instance, approximately 26% of online users attest to conflicting with friends over sharing of information they termed as personal.
In conclusion, social media has impacted both positively and negatively on friendships. As many social media has opened up the pool in which people can tap the greatest lot of new friends, it has as well contributed to crumbling of very many others. The effect of this platform on friendships and interpersonal bonding greatly depends on the motivation behind the user.
