Nicole del Cardayre | Staff Writer | Social media and impact on communications
As a girl sits on her couch with her nose buried in her phone, she is in the process of meeting her best friend.
Because of the easy accessibility to the media, people’s relationships begin to become solely based off of the internet.
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Vine are all domains dominating the spare time of people's lives. These domains have a constant flow of new content which absorbs the minds of the users and sucks them into the world of social media.
“I have made a lot of friends through Twitter that have eventually become some of my best friends,” said sophomore Kiana Philip.
Twitter allows its users to share what is on their minds within 140 characters or less. This permits Twitter’s users to stay in touch with their friends and acquaintances.
Philip uses Twitter as a key communication device between her friends to share funny videos and relatable Tweets. Because of the quick and easy way to share Tweets, people are constantly sharing and talking about the latest gossip and news on Twitter.
In an interview given to Social Work Today, Nicholas David Bowman Ph.D, said that social media networks have begun to overtake dinner tables and conversation topics. He said that, because the Internet is so easy to access, it is hard to pull away from. Bowman also stated that because of the online relationships forming between people, interpersonal communication skills have begun to deteriorate.
Paul Booth, Ph.D said In another interview given to Social Work Today, , “We may rely on the weak connections we’re making on social media more than on the strong connections we might have when we’re meeting face-to-face.”
With it being the 21st century, people use their technological devices to an excessive amount. Sometimes the amount on of time on their device can be more, rather than interacting with their friends and family.
“Social media has had a huge impact on family time because of kids focusing and valuing what their friends are doing more than what their family is doing,” said Junior Gia Stavros.
In a college study at Elon University conducted by student Emily Drago, 100 students were polled about the use of their smartphones and tablets.
Sixty percent of the respondents said that they use their phone for more than four hours a day. Another 18 percent of these respondents said that they use their smartphones or tablets for more than eight hours a day.
“It makes me uncomfortable that people spend that much time on their technological devices because there are so many more important things to be doing. However it's also aggravating that so many school projects are based on technology so that our time spent using devices is increased,” said Sophomore Cate Armstrong
According to Drago, almost all students bring their laptops, smartphones, or tablets with themselves whenever they leave their home. This obsessive use of technology and social media has led people’s face to face communication skills to decrease. As people begin to spend more time on their technological devices, the time available for them to interact with their friends face to face decreases.
In another study conducted by pewinternet.org, nine in 10 teens say that they spend time with their friends on social media. Almost 30 percent of those nine in 10 teens who say they spend time with their friends on social media as well say they do it every day. Because of the amount of time spent on social media with friends, some say they feel better connected to their peers because of the relatable conversation matter.
“Although social media is a waste of my time, it definitely does benefit my friendships. Social media allows me to connect with my friends through common interests,” said sophomore Zane VanArsdel.
Regarding the future of social media and how it will impact our interpersonal communication, Social Work Today quoted Bowman’s belief in the possibility of social media eventually over ruling people’s daily lives. “They will continue to increase the volume of the human communication process, and we will continue to learn how to use them for good and for bad,” says Bowman.