About a decade ago, the word ‘social media’ would not have been heard by many. But today, the basic needs of a man are changing. Conventionally, they were food, cloth, and shelter but now, we have to add internet, mobile and social media to that list. Man has always been called a social animal and nowadays social media seems to be one of his most proficient social needs. Communication is the primary motto of the concept of social media. But is the motto looking realistic?
Social Media and Communication
Since the proliferation of social media, the ways we communicate have changed. The concept of communication had a lot of limitations to it; but with the rise of social media, the world is getting closer. Social media has not only found new ways of communication but also has reshaped the old ones. The rise of social media has changed the world’s perspective on communication. The increase in the speed of communication has created a sense of urgency and a need to share things among people, provided an inside perspective of faraway places, and made digital messages more personal. The traditional ways of communication have now been replaced by modern ones. Much like everything, this concept also has two sides. One is an optimistic side and the second a pessimistic one.
Positive Effects of Social Media on Communication
While analyzing the benefits social media has on communication. First and the most significant benefit that comes across is the increase in the speed of communication. The significant flaw of the traditional communication system was its slow nature, and social media seems to be a solution for the same. Messages are getting delivered within split seconds. Important notifications, instructions are also conveyed to multiple people within an eye blink. People with similar interests are coming together to form groups for a purpose. According to surveys, 39% of respondents felt closer to their friends because of social media while 26% felt they had more friends because of social media. Representatives of various cultures also come together without any boundaries or constraints. Social media helps random people meet each other by initiating the conversation.
Social media is not limited to Whatsapp and Facebook only. In the last couple of years, Instagram has been the most used mobile application ahead of Whatsapp and Facebook on the list. Moreover, various applications are giving a platform to people for showcasing their talent. Talented people from the rural and remote areas which were untouched or never noticed are now seeking peoples’ attention. Many arts and artists are gaining popularity with the use of social media. Different ways of doing different things are being invented and spread. Many singers have gained popularity through Youtube and parallel social networks and it has been a turnaround in their fortunes.
Negative Effects of Social Media on Communication
Now let’s just have a look at the cons too. Communication was the main purpose of the invention of social media. The purpose seems to be fulfilled from outside, but in the hindsight, the soul of the communication seems to have lost. The speed of the communication might have been increased, but the reliability of the same has received a massive downfall. The amount of fake news getting spread around is increasing day by day. In this era of technology, both online and offline conversations are dominated by social media interactions. With easy person-to-person access by using social media, people are becoming lazy. Studies show that 11 percent of adults prefer to say home on weekends and make posts on Facebook instead of going out and acquiring real-life experiences. People are losing interest in meeting others in person.
Chances of good and meaningful conversations are reducing day after day. The short versions of messages such as kk, ttyl, cus, tc are ruining the beauty of the language and not doing justice to grammar and syntax also. The habit of overusing social media also leads to a decrease in one’s informative skill. The interactions on social platforms can be sometimes misleading and not specific causing major misunderstandings between people. Also, people get used to sitting alone which is decreasing or degrading their creativity and hugely affecting their thinking ability.
Social Media Affecting Social Skills
Facebook, Instagram, Twitter might have given us a lot of online friends. But what about those whom we live everyday with? The longer distances might have been cut down, but the people close to each other are now going far apart. People are much more interested in communicating with their Facebook friends instead of the real ones. The face to face communication is the primary and most important aspect of general communication but it has lost its importance because of social media, resulting in the degradation of moral values in society. The actual feelings have all become abstract now. The attention of people towards real and actual things is decreasing while their attraction towards imaginary things is increasing in the same proportion. A man who was once known as a ‘social animal’ has now become a ‘social media animal’. The over-dependence on social media is increasing day by day. Talking speed is replaced by typing speed. People are losing their natural tendencies and behaving like slaves of technology.
With the increasing globalization and industrialization, we need to communicate faster; we need to be precise as far as time is concerned. These are the main reasons why we cannot ignore social media. If used within limits, social media is indeed a blessing for mankind. Regulation and restriction on the use of social media can lead us towards much faster, smoother, effective and reliable communication. On the other hand, if the misuse of social media continues the way it is, the heart of the concept of communication will be broken which might never be fixed again.
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