We live in the most interconnected period in the history of civilization, a time in which we can communicate across vast oceans and mountain ranges at the touch of a button. We are more together than ever before; yet, we are still terribly alone — trapped within the jealous bubble of our tiny touch-
Technology has isolated us and diminished face-to-face communication. Verbal communication has taken the backburner, and now, much of our communication occurs with our fingertips. According to a 2014 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 81 percent of mobile users engage in text messaging. Those who are 24 and younger send and receive the greatest volume of messages. However, older individuals aren’t falling far behind. They are the fastest-growing group and have shown consistent growth over time.
There are now multiple social media platforms that have adopted similar characteristics of text messaging, which have radically changed the dynamics of human interaction and allowed us to stay connected with friends and family near and far. At any given moment, if you need to let someone know that you’re on your way, you can send him or her a quick message. If you saw a neat video and you’d like to share it with a friend, you can easily hit the share button, and it will instantly alert them. In today’s society, interacting via text message and online has become the norm. Despite the shrinking effect that social media and text messaging have on the globe, these platforms continue to hinder genuine interpersonal communication skills.
Today we have just as many people sharing information about themselves on social media sites as they do face to face. This is the generation of media over-stimulation. Individuals are walking the streets fixated on their screens, ignoring their surroundings and avoiding any eye contact that may come their way.
23 percent of Facebook’s users check their account five or more times daily, according to Socialnomics. The time people are spending on social media sites is taking away time for real-life interactions. It isn’t rare to see a group of people out at a restaurant interacting with their phones as opposed to interacting with each other.
The skill of being quick-minded and diverse in carrying a conversation is a struggle for many, especially for younger generations. Due to the fact that they grew up in the age of advanced technology, it seems that they live and breathe technological communication.
The thing is, face-to-face conversations are the foundation of human communication, and removing the non-verbal aspect of communication (which invariably happens with social media) often causes messages to be interpreted. The most critical aspect of verbal, face-to-face discussions is that they allow peers to see facial expressions and hear the tone of the words being said. Non-verbal communication and gauging the emotions of others by the tone of their voice are vital skills, and sacrificing these for social media may hinder our ability to build flourishing relationships with our peers.
In the workforce, communication is crucial: Jobs invariably require you to be able to work with people and communicate in order to foster relationships. However, social media poses a threat to our generation’s ability to effectively integrate into the working world.
Stop hiding behind your screens and make a choice to exercise the ability of direct communication. Share the information you share online in person. Open up, and be social. Although our platforms for communication are considered “social” media, they are creating an aloof and anti-social generations that flee from conversations and find refuge by burying their noses in the faint glow of a tiny screen.