In today’s society, it’s very natural to hear people attribute their career-related success to the assistance of social media on any given platform. The world’s of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are now used not just to upload information about our own lives, but to link us with others in similar walks of life whether that may be based on personal, career or educational experiences. The Washington Post highlights the fact that teens now spend almost nine hours per day in front of a phone screen. At what point does this networking tool start to create a negative connotation towards one’s ability to communicate in real time? Millennials and those born into Generation Z may not understand but before the smartphone age, there was a bygone age in which human’s only means of expressing themselves to the world was by word of mouth and the radio!
What’s the Big Deal?
Lack of interpersonal communication
Social networks allow for instant communication and connection to family members, friends, and peers with the ability to give and receive information quickly without the hassle of introductory dialogue. This can be advantageous if you’re speaking to someone long-distance but the screen creates a [literal] barrier and takes out any personal touch to a conversation. Face-to-face communication is much more intimate and allows our voices to be heard!
Less engagement
Next time you are at an event, such as a professional sporting match or a concert, look at those around you and think about what you see; seven out of ten people you look at will have their phones out taking snapchats, pictures or texting someone about whats going on. In his blog post pertaining to social media communication, Professor Chetan Bhamare highlights how our society overshares information without allowing our minds to live in the moment and absorb information around us. The “here and now” experiences are on a fast track to sharing and documentation rather than engaging in an experience in the present tense. Writer Sophia A. Nelson said it best- ” We shout at the world loudly without ever speaking a word.”
Patience Issues
Along with this need to share information comes the sense of urgency paired with it. To get your point across in the digital age all one needs to do it press ‘send,’ and to learn more press ‘enter.’ This takes out the middlemen; conversation and patience and replaces it with the idea that we need to know now. I, myself, am a millennial and since receiving a cell phone at the age of twelve I have realized that when I want to learn more information or have a question I resort to the internet to find my answer rather than ask a family member or friend. Why? This is because it’s quick and easy- no waiting or drawn out conversation. Higher Ed Marketing Journal explains that humans naturally operate on a feedback loop where we transmit information, wait for a response and receive information back, storing it in our memory. Due to advancements in technology the waiting is gone, causing us to be spoiled and want information as soon as possible- typing or talking to a screen to get it.
Let’s Try This!
Put your phone down
Next time you find yourself experiencing something Instagram- worthy make the choice to NOT document it using your phone. Wait until the next day and speak to someone, in person perhaps over coffee or at a dinner, about the fun you had and how much you enjoyed yourself! Although the virtual community found in social media may be a blessing, it may also be a curse creating a false sense of community, that lacks a personal touch.