In recent years, social media has become a vital part of contemporary society. The development in technology has seen the emergence of numerous social media sites that facilitate communication. Social media has created indefinite opportunities for individuals to socially interact with each other irrespective of their geographical location across the world. The social networks enable individuals to keep in touch with their families, peers or acquaintances, which promotes social interaction and development. Some of the common social media platforms that allow online communication include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and WhatsApp. These sites enable interaction, collaboration and content sharing among individuals. The centrality of social media in our communication interactions has significantly impacted various forms of communication. It is, therefore, crucial to analyze the impact of social media on vital facets of communication such as verbal , non-verbal , intercultural and relational communication. This will ensure that our future interactions in the digital age will be more effective lest we lose the essence of communication.
Impact on Verbal Communication
Verbal communication is the primary form of communication through which individuals express their feelings, thoughts and ideas through the spoken words. The message can be conveyed through discussions, conversations or speeches. Verbal communication skills, such as etiquette maximize the effectiveness of verbal communication. However, some of these communication skills may be lost through the excessive use of social media platforms for communication purposes. This is because social media interaction does not emphasize the use of crucial verbal skills that enhance effective communication.
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For instance, social media encourages the use of casual language, which may impact verbal communication. Consider a teen who has become used to using short forms such as ‘lol' for laughing out loud to communicate online. Such a teen is likely to use that casual language to communicate verbally. This may lead to a misunderstanding during communication. Crucial aspects of verbal communication, such as the use of formal language are diminished by excessive use of social media, especially by teenagers (Nyakang'i, 2017). The long term effect would be difficulty in masterly of formal language when these teens become adults.
Another impact of social media on verbal communication is that individuals addicted to social media users tend to have a difficult time engaging in dialogues. Dialogue is a vital aspect of verbal communication and factors such as turn-taking, and tonal variation is crucial for productive conversations (Nyakang'i, 2017). The online platform, however, does not provide a platform to develop these skills. The primary form of communication is through written texts, posts and emails which do not encourage dialogue.
Also, listening is an essential aspect of effective verbal communication. Effectively listening to the other person enhances communication and promotes effective conversation. It enables an individual to identify the vital information, analyze and effectively use it to respond to the other individual. However, the online platform does not allow for this form of interaction where individuals listen to each other. This vital element of verbal communication is thus lost, which may hinder its effectiveness.
Impact on Non-Verbal Communication
Non-verbal communication is an essential component of effective communication. Vocal and visual cues of communication such as facial expressions, eye contact and other forms of body language significantly contribute to effective communication. Research indicates that 93% of communication is based on nonverbal body language. This means that compared to written and verbal communication, non-verbal communication most significantly contributes to effective communication. It’s the body language that helps an individual decipher when another individual is telling the truth or lying. Also, non-verbal communication is essential when teaching young children about social interaction to enable them to express their feelings more effectively (Elder, 2018). The children learn from cues such as eye contact, pointing and facial expressions to acquire skills that promote their ability to interact with other people socially.
However, with the development of technology and the availability of online communication platforms, this crucial aspect of effective communication has been lost. It is now possible for individuals to hide behind their skills and conceal their true feelings and create an illusion of their true self (Tardanico, 2012). It is difficult for other people to visualize the non-verbal cues of communication which renders communication less effective. The ability to hind behind the screen and portray the unreal self can have detrimental effects on individuals. For instance, consider a teen who has suicidal thoughts, but when conversing with her mother, she sends smiley emoji to her mother, indicating that all is well with her. The following day, her mother receives a call informing her that her beloved daughter committed suicide the previous night in her hostel room. If the mother had face-to-face communication with her daughter, she would have deciphered the body language of her daughter and known that something was wrong.
Extensive social media use for communication interactions has, therefore presented a paradox. People are becoming more connected with each other and potentially more disconnected (Tardanico, 2012). This can be attributed to the fact that non-verbal communication is no longer possible through social media communication. It is difficult to determine the actual status of an individual through online communication since body language can tell more that written and verbal communication combined.
Impact on Intercultural Communication
Intercultural communication is crucial in modern society. This is because globalization has brought different cultures together, which makes cross-cultural interaction inevitable. Social media plays a significant role in ensuring that different cultures encounter each other daily and effective interaction occurs (Sawyer, & Chen, 2012). Social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube have enabled communication among people from different regions of the world. This has promoted interconnectedness across the globe as well as encouraging appreciation of cultural diversity.
For instance, as of the second quarter of 2019, Facebook had 2.41 billion active users across the world. This means that more than 30% of the world population are connected on Facebook and can interact with each other. The social media site provides a common platform where individuals with different cultural backgrounds can interact with each other and share information to promote intercultural connectedness (Sawyer, & Chen, 2012). Social networking enables individuals to communicate with each other irrespective of the distance, separating them.
Also, social media promotes the intercultural adaptation of individuals who are transiting from one culture to another (Chen, 2013). Intercultural communication enables individuals to gather vital knowledge about the host culture, which influences their adjustment and adaptation into the new culture. The social media platforms also provide the means of communication between immigrants and their families and friends in the native countries. Contact with the local people of the host cultures is also enhanced through social media interaction. The social media also enables people to keep in touch with each other since they can keep track of their friends without initiating physical communication.
Impact on Relational Communication
Face-to-face contact is an essential factor that nurtures effective interpersonal interaction. An interpersonal relationship involves a connection between two people, and effective communication is a significant component of such a relationship. To build a healthy relationship, individuals must engage in in-depth conversations where they express their true feelings and emotions (Vevere, 2015). This ensures the development of a strong bond that maintains the interpersonal relationship.
However, social media hinders the ability of individuals to interact at a personal level with each other. Social media facilitates the formation of a virtual relationship which sometimes characterized by superficial feelings. It is therefore difficult to form a real connection through social media interaction since most individuals will hide their true self behind the screen. The lack of physical and personal contact makes it difficult for an individual to share their intimate feelings; thus, intimacy in the relationship is thwarted (Vriens, & van Ingen, 2018). Individuals become accustomed to indirect communication and eventually become comfortable losing touch with their loved ones.
Another impact of social media use is that individuals tend to spend more time online chatting with online friends than they spend with physical friends and family. It is normal nowadays for individuals to spend an entire weekend indoors talking with friends online rather than hang out with their families and friends. This eventually harms their relationships with their loved ones which may result in loss of intimacy in relationships.
How Social Media has changed how I communicate
Social media has both positively and negatively influenced how I interact with other people. First, social interaction with individuals from different cultural backgrounds has enabled me to appreciate cultural diversity. I now understand that culture may influence social behavior; thus, I now interact and communicate more effectively with my culturally diverse friends both in school and at home. Also, through social media interaction, I have learnt a few foreign language terms that enable me to greet and introduce myself to individuals who do not speak my native language.
On the flip side, extensive social media use has led to reduced physical interaction with my parents. Whenever I need something from my parents, I use digital means to communicate with them. I rarely spend quality time with my parents which has reduced the physical intimacy between us. When at home, I spend much of my time on my phone or laptop chatting with online friends. I believe this is damaging my relationship with my parents.
Strategies to become more effective communicators in the digital age
Technology is ever dynamic, and positive change should be embraced. The digital era of communication has both advantages and disadvantages. To enjoy the benefits and mitigate the weaknesses, some strategies can be used to ensure effective communication.
First, individuals should not underestimate the importance of phone calls in digital communication. Unlike texting and emailing, phone calls encourage intimacy since individuals can use some non-verbal cues of communication such as tone variation. Communication is, therefore, more effective in a phone call conversation than in a text messaging since instant response without time to conceal the true feelings is made possible. Phone calls help to bridge the digital world and the real world where physical communication is encouraged (Hendricks, 2014).
Secondly, social media communication provides an aspect of video chatting which can go a long way to enhance interpersonal relationships. For instance, Skype enables individuals to video chat with their loved ones despite their physical separation (Hendricks, 2014). Video chatting allows conveyance of non-verbal cues of communication such as facial expressions which enhances the effectiveness of the interaction. Individuals can, therefore, read the body language of other people and understand their true feelings.
Lastly, people should understand that no other form of communication will ever be as effective as face-to-face interaction. Once in a while, individuals should make an effort to spend time with their loved ones which will go a long way in encouraging physical intimacy. The digital era should not deny us the essence of human interaction which is to form intimate relationships with the people we care about.
References
Chen, G. M. (2013). The Impact of New Media on Intercultural Communication in Global Context. China Media Report Overseas, 9(1).
Elder, A. M. (2018). What words can’t say: Emoji and other non-verbal elements of technologically-mediated communication. Journal of Information, Communication and Ethics in Society, 16(1), 2-15.
Hendricks, D. (2014). How to Improve Communication Skills in a Digital World. [online] UVM Continuing and Distance Education. Available at: https://learn.uvm.edu/blog/blog-business/improve-communication-skills [Accessed 1 Nov. 2019].
Nyakang'i, E. (2017). Negative effects of social media on communication skills (verbal) | Kenyayote. [online] Kenyayote. Available at: https://kenyayote.com/negative-effects-social-media-communication-skills-verbal/ [Accessed 1 Nov. 2019].
Sawyer, R., & Chen, G. M. (2012). The impact of social media on intercultural adaptation.
Tardanico, S. (2012). Is Social Media Sabotaging Real Communication?. [online] Forbes.com. Available at: https://www.forbes.com/sites/susantardanico/2012/04/30/is-social-media-sabotaging-real-communication/ [Accessed 1 Nov. 2019].
Vevere, V. (2015). Impact of social media on interpersonal communication patterns. Socialinių mokslų studijos, 7(1), 124-138.
Vriens, E., & van Ingen, E. (2018). Does the rise of the Internet bring erosion of strong ties? Analyses of social media use and changes in core discussion networks. New media & society, 20(7), 2432-2449.
