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Has social media affected our abilities to communicate with each other in person? Research suggests that it has in fact affected our face to face interactions. Before the invention of the internet communicating long distances took time and had to be kept short. The majority of interaction was face to face communication. With the development of the internet and social media we are able to quickly communicate with each other from any distance. I've known people to have a conversation on their phones while sitting in the same room. I’ve also known people who end relationships or share bad news over social media because they feel like they cannot face the other person. Why is it that communicating over computer or cell phone seems easier or less daunting?
Research supports the idea that digital communication is easier than face to face communication. One study concluded that the interaction with a computer is easier because it does not require the same high levels of cognitive or emotional involvement. Humans are hard wired to be cognitively and emotionally engaged when interacting with another human; it is automatic and unconsciously done. Our brain activates various regions that help us make inferences and decisions about others.
Humans do not have the same reaction when interacting with a computer. This is because the majority of what we are processing while interacting in person is non-verbal communication such as facial expressions, body language, eye contact, tone of voice, etc. While communicating over social media our brains process next to none of those signals.
However, while this can make it easier to communicate from an immediate brain processing level it can complicate and misconstrue communication that causes miscommunication. I am sure you can think of a time that you texted or messaged someone and they took what you said in a way you had no intention of portraying. This is why when I have to communicate via messages I like to use emojis as a way to provide context to whomever I am communicating with at the time.
But this gets down to another way that makes communicating over social media is easier, we can hide our emotions when talking over social media in a way that we cannot achieve in a face to face conversation. While sometimes it might be nice to hide our emotions it can lead to devastating results. Signs of depression and suicidal ideation are often already very difficult to obtain in face to face interactions, adding the mask that is social media; people may have no idea that their loved one needs help.
While social media is incredibly helpful and amazing it is having real measurable effects on our abilities to communicate IRL (in real life). It is effecting our relationships, the quantity and quality of our face to face interactions, and lives in a negative way, especially, if over used. So remember to engage and communicate in real life as much if not more than you do with technology. Till next time, xoxo.