Need revision and added input.

Jeinny Urrego

English 101

Mr. Dreiling

March 1, 2019

Vulnerability in Using Social Media to Phone Calls or Face-to-Face Communication

Communication is one of the most important aspects of human life and therefore, it can never be ignored. This is the process by which an idea, feeling or message is transferred from the source to a destination through a certain channel which best suits the sender/source (Stiff and Mongeau). There are various ways in which information can be communicated effectively without being distorted and these include face-to-face communication, phone calls and use of social media. There are many reasons as to why one may decide to choose one and forgo the other, which is highly dependent on the individual’s confidentiality, control and safety of the message at hand.

Social media is a technological platform, which involves the use of digital devices such as the computer, smartphones, iPhone, and tablets, which are internet, based to enhance connections or communication between an individual with friends, relatives, family, clients, and customers. It is through social media that people tend to network for social and business reasons. This is popularly done by the use of applications such as Facebook, WhatsApp, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram.

In her essay, “Alone Together,” Sherry Turkle states how she believes that the new generation has become vulnerable to social media, by preferring to use social media to communicate rather than having face-to-face interaction. By doing this, she believes that this new generation is keeping themselves at a distance from their feelings (Turkle). It is fact that social media has extensively molded the way people communicate in that the aspect of actual “feeling” is neglected.

Despite it being so informative about one’s status and its ability for globalization, social media confides people to loneliness. According to a study led by Dr. Brian Primack, “the more time young adults use social media, the more likely they are to feel socially isolated [therefore] lacking fulfilling relationships and a sense of belonging” (Pawlowski).

Technology advancement has made social networking popularly used by almost everyone making it easy to communicate with anyone from anywhere. Government agencies and business firms have also realized that social media has the potential to effectively take the message home. Although there are many who differ on the argument that it cripples communication skills and, on the other hand, on the fact that it improves communication, it has with no considerable doubts played an imperative role in communication field (Bryfonski).

People communicate every day and sometimes, occasionally through text messages, emails and chat groups. As opposed to face-to-face communication, there is no limitation to distance in social networking provided one has the right account. A clear explanation from Sherry Turkle says exactly what is going on with all the social media use and the increasing lack of face-to-face interactions, she states, “in text messaging and e-mail, you hide as much as you show. You can present yourself as you wish to be “seen”. [In addition], you can “process” people as quickly as you want to… We work so hard to give expressive voices over to our robots but are content not to use our own” (Turkle). It feels like it is much easier to hide ourselves behind a screen than show our face to others and carry a conversation in person without having the chance to delete, rewrite or lie.

Social media, despite being mostly embraced by many, a bigger percentage, especially young people, have a feeling that it promotes loneliness. According to John Drussell, about 48% of his interviewers said that because of social media, trust has significantly dropped to a level that an individual can only have a single confidant. As compared to a similar study, which had, been carried out 25 years before with at least three confidants.

This is a clear indication that although social networking has turned the world to a small global village, it has neglected the need for a person to make face-to-face communication as it keeps everyone in touch without taking into consideration the distance. On the other hand, it has moved to a higher notch the level of loneliness between both parties (Romm and Setzekorn). It is clear that, even though social networking is fast and easier to use, it shall never substitute face-to-face and in-person communication.

In addition, not only the number of times of face-to-face interaction has been negatively affected but also the quality at which the conversations are carried out is also wanting. This proves the reason behind the lack of intimate conversation and interactions between the duos.

Social networking has also contributed to addiction in that it is clearly seen that a large percentage of social media users suffer from online addiction. A social network addict keeps on tapping his/her phone to check in for text messages on social media applications even if there is nothing new that has been updated. A relationship between a sixteen-year-old teenager named Audrey and her divorced parents shows how the excessive habit of using cell phones has deteriorated her communication with her mother because of the lack of attention that is given to her (Graff, Birkenstein and Durst). This proofs how adults have also become “addicted” to the use of cell phones and social media, deteriorating their relationships. Audrey wants her mother’s attention, be able to have a conversation with her, but in reality all she gets from her mother is emptiness and silence, in Audrey’s words, “[cell phone] gets between us, but it’s hopeless. [My mother] will not give it up. Like, it could have been four days since I last spoke to her.

To conclude, social media has negative impacts on most people’s relationships and lives despite the fact that it has made a milestone impact on making global communication within a blink of an eye. People need to limit and discipline themselves on the use of social media. Social networks such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and websites act as platforms for the provision of news about what is happening around us, but this should never steer us away from being cautious about our lives.

Everyone should take an initiative of ensuring that whatever information is fed to him or her should be of positive impact, limit too much communication through the social network, and encourage in person or face-to-face communication as it has made people less interested in meeting up with others in person, which in turn loses the flavor of a meaningful conversation.

Works Cited

Bryfonski, Dedria. The Global Impact of Social Media. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Print.

Drussell, John. Social Networking and Interpersonal Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills among College Freshmen. May 2012. Electronic. 28 Feb 2019. <https://sophia.stkate.edu/msw_papers/21/>.

Pawlowski, A. Feeling Lonely How to stop social media from making you feel isolated. 23 April 2018. Electronic. 01 03 2019. <https://www.today.com/health/how-stop-feeling-lonely-social-media-can-worsen-loneliness-t127466>.

Romm, Celia and Kristina Setzekorn. Social Networking communities and E-dating Services. Hershey: IGI Global, 2009. Print.

Stiff, James Brian and Paul A. Mongeau. Persuasive Communication Second Edition. New York: The Guilford press, 2003. Print.

Turkle, Sherry. "No Need to Call." They Say, I Say with Readings, edited by Graff, Gerald, Cathy Birkenstein and Russel Durst, 4th ed., W.W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2018, pp. 505-521.