Today, people are more connected to one another through online social networking than ever before in history. This technology has brought with it numerous debates on whether online social networking destroys real-life human interactions and relationships. On one hand, there are those who believe that online social media platforms are a blessing to humanity. This reasoning is backed by the convenience and high speeds of human interaction which, in turn, add meaning to globalization. Furthermore, online social networking has been observed as an appropriate tool for introverted people to express themselves in ways that might not be possible in real life (Arnaboldi, 2015). Another benefit that has been associated with online social media is the development of social and business relationships across the world without any restrictions to physical boundaries or geographical distances. Therefore, people can interact and communicate with each other from anywhere in the world at any time. This fact offers convenience to loved ones and families who stay far away from one another. As a result of all these positives of online social networking, people have become more open and receptive to different cultures and societies.
However, online social networking has its downsides too. The most significant disadvantage here is the common disconnect from real life, which is evident when there is reduced or lack of communication or ability to interact in real life. This problem is serious to many people, especially those who are familiar to technology. Here, the attraction or desire to make connections and interactions via technology is bigger than that for human interaction. In addition to that, users of online social networks prefer making interaction with other people online to interacting with people in real life because of the simplicity of the process. For example, you do not have to be smartly dressed, wealthy, or physically attractive to establish an online interaction with a fellow user online, whereas these factors may be determinants of real life interactions (Chin & Zhang, 2014). Therefore, the online networks attract more people for their efficiency and simplicity in interactions.
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Online social networking provides a gateway for people to be in different places at any time, with the ability to sidestep real life challenges. This type of interaction is not possible in real life and, hence more people are attracted to those virtual interactions. For example, a group of teenagers who find themselves in a party that they consider to be boring would most probably retreat to Instagram or Whatsapp instead of engaging in real life conversations. In such a situation, those teenagers will have ‘left’ the party without exiting the venue. The attraction for every teenager in this party to check out their own online networking accounts would be higher than that of striking real life conversations with the people physically present in the party (Turkle, 2011).
Spending too much time on online social networks can isolate people from the real world and, hence, make them less likely to interact with others in real life. Although there are some people who use these platforms to keep their real connections updated, most interactions initiated through social technology are not mirrored in real life. For example, it is common for people to ‘friend’ or ‘follow’ other people that they do not know. By doing do, such individuals make ‘friends’ without knowing the intention or nature of such commitments. However, the online presence and interaction with these followers and friends can establish and sustain relationships in the virtual space. These relationships make it hard for the users of online social networks to seek real life social encounters by providing the illusion of friendship and companionship without any demands or conditions (Scott & Carrington, 2011).
Frequent use of online social networks brings about a reduction in real life intimacy between people hence causing problems in relationships. The number and quality of interactions that people make face-to-face has been impacted by social media technology. In fact, it is presumably easier for social media users to initiate relationships over the internet as opposed to real life interactions because the former eliminates the nervousness. In addition to that, online social networks have become one-stop destinations for people who seek news, gossip, and entertainment. The availability of such content has eliminated the need to for most people to meet up and talk about them in real life (Ryan, 2011).
Too much use of online social networks tends to be addictive. Today, society is full of examples where people can be seating next to each other staring at their phones instead of talking. This trend has become common in almost everywhere including offices, buses, homes, and streets among other places. Young people, for example, are spending more time with their online friends and followers than they do with their real friends and families. The online social media accounts have become the last thing that most people engage in before going to sleep, and the first thing that they check when they wake up (Ryan, 2011).
This addiction to virtual interactions has also led to an increase in cases where people create fake online personalities or fake lifestyle to attract more online friends and admiration. This admiration, in turn, brings ‘likes’ and ‘comments’ which are associated with popularity in most online social platforms. The signaling theory can be used here to understand how the users of online social networks disclose their personal information on their online profiles. This theory contends that human interactions, whether online or face-to-face, consist of signals that can be used to identify an individual’s characteristics or status. This theory, therefore, examines how identity and trust can be developed in online social networks as well as in real life. The obsession with approval from strangers makes most users to do things that they would otherwise not do in real life. For example, it is common for some users in various social media to post attention-seeking content such as semi-nude or nude pictures, which they would never share with their real life friends. Therefore, the users of these networks would be less likely to interact with the real life friends because of the lack of approval and popularity that is available in the virtual space (Wittkower, 2010).
There are some users in the online social networks who reduce their own chances of establishing real life connections because of social anxiety, low self-esteem, or social vices such as bullying. In Facebook, for example, it would be expected for users to make connections with people who they know in real life. The purpose of the site here would be to keep those connections lively while sharing moments in the form of pictures, messages, or videos. In addition to that, these platforms provide the opportunity for users to meet new people and make new friends (Wittkower, 2010).
However, individuals with low self-esteem may have problems expressing themselves in these platforms and, hence reducing their chances of connecting with other people. Consequently, such individuals would have problems making real life interactions with other users because of failure to express themselves or exude confidence in the virtual space. Online social networks make it possible for users to find out about other people through online stalking of user accounts. Finding out too much about the other person before meeting can lead to an increase in social anxiety, especially when users attempts to make a real life meet ups.
Frequent use of social media networks diminishes real life social skills. The youth, who are the common users of these networks, are increasingly becoming lonely because of the failure to develop real social skills. Therefore, it is hard for this group of people to make new friends in the real life, as opposed to the virtual space where such can be achieved with one click. Instead of hanging out and socializing in real life, most users of social media opt to maintain their friendships through the social networks, hence leading to increased feelings of isolation.
Currently, it has become less practical for people to discuss business on the traditional golf courses or coffee meetings because of the convenience of online social networks. Business relationships have shifted from those real life interactions to the virtual space because of the practicality and convenience. Here, business discussions can be done through video, voice, or text without the need for face-to-face meetings. In such cases, people from any location in the world can conduct business with each other without having to meet in real life (Gamble & Gamble, 2013).
Online social networks have an impact on the interaction of people in real life. The use of these networks can lead to a shift of attention from the establishment of real life connections to interactions in the virtual space because of the convenience, efficiency, and simplicity. Through online networks, people can interact with each other from any location in the world at any time. All these factors have reduced the value of face-to-face interactions in many aspects of life such as business operations and friendships. Furthermore, these online networks isolate people from the real world by providing platforms where they can gain popularity among strangers. Other people create fake personalities and lifestyles which cannot be substantiated or sustained in real life and would, therefore, prefer online interactions to real life connections. The addictive nature of social media networks is also responsible for the reduced tendency to make real life interactions. Most users of these networks are always glued to their devices at the expense of family, friends, and loved ones. In addition to that, online social media diminish the development of real life social skills and, hence most people become less likely to interact in real life for lack of such skills.
References
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Chin, A., & Zhang, D. (2014). Mobile social networking: An innovative approach . New York,
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Gamble, T. K., & Gamble, M. (2013). Interpersonal communication: Building connections
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Ryan, P. K. (2011). Digital and Information Literacy . New York: Rosen Publishing.
Scott, J., & Carrington, P. J. (2011). The SAGE handbook of social network analysis . London;
Thousand Oaks, Calif.: SAGE.
Turkle, S. (2011). Alone together: Why we expect more from technology and less from each
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Wittkower, D. E. (2010). Facebook and philosophy: What's on your mind? . Chicago: Open
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