Has social media changed the way in which we communicate for the better?
Here are two fantastic TED talks in which Jon Ronson and Sherry Turkle discuss the impact of social media on the ways in which we communicate in the 21st century.
Jon Ronson: When online shaming spirals out of control
Sherry Turkle: Connected, but alone?
What do you think of the way in which we communicate with each other now? Has social media had a positive impact?
English at Lutterworth College 
Originally I would’ve said social media has changed the way we communicate for the better. However after watching the videos, I believe they have valid points which must be considered. When a comment is made on social media it is unable to be taken back and it can also be misunderstood and took badly even if meant as a joke. Many people are obsessed with social media and texting, to the extent in which it takes over from real life activities. When talking to people in the real world, there are always phones about which often take over from real life activities. Many people prioritize virtual conversations over real life ones, which I believe is partially because when having a conversation online it is done at your own convenience and if you get bored and don’t know what to say you can switch you’re phone off. This is much harder to do in real life conversations and would also be considered rude. Therefore I believe much social media is a relatively negative way of communicating.
LikeLike
In a way, yes. Social media allows us to get in contact with people all over the world at the click of a button. We can talk to people in another time zone; we can talk to people across the road instantly. We can talk about anything and everything we wish. However, social media is ruining physical interactions and real life conversations. We now talk to people 3 feet away by using emojis and memes of cats talking. Yes, you can do as you please and text a person in the next room. It saves the movement, but in turn doesn’t save you. I like being able to talk to whoever I want, whenever I want. But I will never get tired of talking to someone’s face, seeing their reaction when I say something funny, or gasp at some gossip. I can share my interests with my friends through talking and laughing; I only use social media as a distraction from my boredom. Cat memes can wait; I’m sticking to convention and what I know best. So no, it hasn’t, and for me, it never will.
LikeLike
In a way, I believe that the internet and social media has changed our lives in a good way. This is because we are now able to talk to people all over the world that we wouldn’t normally have the ability to. We can keep up to date with our favourite celebrities by looking on Twitter and see what our friends are doing on Facebook although; sometimes this isn’t the case. After watching the videos, I have realised that technology can really take over someone’s life. If we aren’t careful we become really reliant on our technology. Due to technology and the internet, we build relationships differently, make plans differently and learn differently. Technology takes control of our lives and changes the way that we are. Everyone around the world has become dependent on the technology that is available, especially mobile phones, and wouldn’t go a day without it. We now use our phones to talk to people in the same building just for ease of access however; technology will never replace talking face to face with my best friends.
LikeLike
Before watching the two TED Talks, I did believe that social media had changed the way we communicate with people for the better. However now I do disagree with that previous judgment. Accidental jokes are causing offence and getting blown way out of proportion, becoming massive deals. Although tweets, comments, statuses etc can be deleted, they can never be fully erased once they’ve been broadcasted online. People prefer to text or speak on the phone rather than have a conversation face to face. Teenagers for example, will be together without actually being together; they can be in the same room as each other and interact more online than in person. Technology is present everywhere: at school, work or in meetings. People would rather keep each other at distance so they can control how much contact they have and it’s easier to do this online rather than in person. Therefore most people will sacrifice a face to face conversation for an online conversation which completely supports the fact that social media has changed the way in which we communicate for the worse.
LikeLike
I have mixed opinions over whether social media has changed the way in which we communicate. On the one hand, social media enables us to communicate with people from all around the world; in different countries, timezones and maybe even different languages. Without social media and the internet i wouldn’t even know 3 of my closest friends. We can instantly talk to whoever we like, whenever we like and wherever we like. Social media enables us to constantly feel connected with the world and the people around us; knowing what they’re up to without having to physically talk to them. We can choose what we want to say and how we want to say it, editing our words as we go. In real life we don’t have this. However, many people sacrifice conversation for connection. I would much rather talk to someone physically and see their reaction to what i say rather than just receiving a couple of emoji’s that are pretty much always false reactions. However, this isn’t always possible in a modern world where everyone is in different places at different times.
LikeLike
Social media has changed the world completely, getting in touch with people from across the world has become easier, yet reaching people that are closer, face to face, has become harder. One of the positive impacts that social media has had is that it is easier to maintain relationships with anybody at any distance so long as they have access to the internet, it’s also a way to spread news. The negative impacts are that is harder to physically communicate with people in a closer proximity as they have been taken over by social media. Going to the park has been replaced with joining a party on Xbox Live. My personal opinion is that social media has had a mixture of positive and negative impacts on communication, but technology as a whole is taking over people’s lives. Communities will become group chats, Siri will replace ‘man’s best friend’, FaceTime will become first dates etc. Social media, could well be described as a revolution or World War 3.
LikeLike
Social media has definitely affected the way we communicate a lot and I’m not sure if it’s for the better, because we can now communicate at any time and any place at super-fast speeds, but that’s all good and handy, until we incorporate the fact that everyone can use this: nice people, happy people, sad, angry, naughty, bulling and bullied people can all use social media and that can affect everyone on social media and not for the better.
It can also effect our lives in a positive and negative way, for example if we do a lot of charity work and post pictures of ourselves doing some of it then we will be recognized as a nice person and will be treated better (in theory) and the opposite to that is for example, if someone accidently posted an inappropriate joke on Facebook, not knowing how people may not look at it with the same perspective as other people then they would be badly treated because of this (in theory).
For those reasons I think that social media has affected the way we communicate for the worse, not for the better.
LikeLike
I did believe that social media had changed the way we communicate with people for the better, as we can access communication to each other more easily. However, now I think that social media has not improved the way we communicate, because people abuse the luxury of social media, as people become more abusive and willing to be cruel, due to the safety of being behind a screen. Before social media, there was only old fashion bullying and criminal activity. Social media has aided bullying etc. As social media has given people more opportunity to be abusive without being caught.
LikeLike
Before watching the TED talks I thought that social media had changed the way we communicate for the better but after watching both videos it was clear that there are many negative reasons why social media has changed the way we communicate. In the videos, comments were made about written communication is very permanent and hard to delete. It was also said to be faceless which means that people have the confidence to make comments that hurt and dehumanise the receiver. Social media gives a voice to the voiceless, shaming those who are truthful but not abusing those who are shameful to others. The positive side of social media is the ease of talking to those that you wouldn’t necessarily talk to, whether this is due to people moving away or just friends that have gone to a different school/work. Social media gives people to opportunity to talk to anyone at anytime no matter where they are in the world. Although there are the few people out there who abuse the way of social media, I think it is a good thing and is the way forward and with technology advancing there is no way of avoiding it.
LikeLike
Prior watching the TED talk videos, my personal viewpoint was that Medias influence was a positive one , people could now converse from all over the world via Facebook, that like minded individuals could share their opinions and experiences on Twitter. However, after watching the first video, about the Twitter shaming, it disgusted me beyond words, that people would hide behind their computer and phone screens saying diabolical things to ruin another persons life Because of what they said as a joke on the internet. The sheer influence Twitter had on the real world was astonishing, that the woman lost her job and control over her own life because of what people said on Twitter. I’ve now noticed the power our mobile phones have over our lives. I admit the first thing I do in the morning is to check my Phone, and I’m sure many others do.I now notice that people rely on their mobile phones to avoid social interactions, like waiting at the bus stop. People retreat into their phones and their social networks. Documenting every moment of their lives with the use of snapchat, status’s and tweets, to try and make their lives seem meaningful and fuller. People reach out for connections online yet Ignore real connections offline. The whole development of creating a Robot companion sickens me, in the video it gave an example of one being tested, companions for the elderly. We relinquish responsibility of caring for others by creating a companion to do it for us. One day machines will be Mans best friend, and I fear it will be in my lifetime.
LikeLike
At first, my opinions on social media were that yes, it certainly had changed the way we communicate for the better. However, there is a darker side which TED projected about social media that is being missed out of this equation extremely. Whilst you could say that social media has indeed helped us in ways like being able to communicate with our friends and family easily from all across the globe, and keeping up to date with events and our favourite celebrities e.t.c., it can also attract a large negative audience towards us; one which can extremely hurt us mentally (and in the long run, maybe even physically). Some people like to use social media as a platform for laughter, however they don’t use humor that can be classed as ‘nice’ or ‘appropriate’. Instead they are there, mimicking and bullying others, completely messing with their heads, by saying something that can come across as incredibly disgusting. Trolls are becoming increasingly popular across social media, as are stalkers, pedophiles, e.t.c. We also don’t know a majority of these people who we are encountered with online, potentially making it really dangerous for us if we aren’t careful about certain details that we give away. Whilst we may think that we have a slight sense of freedom on social media sites, there is actually a limit towards everything that we can do and post. We finally have a voice, but one that others can easily wreck our lives for if they don’t agree with us. Social media is an amazing thing, but only if it is used appropriately.
LikeLike
Prior to my encounter of the TED Talks videos, I had a very narrow-minded outlook regarding the effect of social media on today’s society. I believed that social media was for the greater good; allowing us to interact with distant loved ones, and make friends without having a single face-to-face conversation. It seems great on the surface, but the reality of the cyber world we live in is that our ‘plugged- in’ lifestyle is negatively impacting our relationships and our overall perspective of living. Communications are now so limited, that we cannot have in-depth, intellectual debates regarding things that matter. Instead we are having 10 minute chats of relentless acronyms like ‘lol’ and ‘ttyl’, destroying the beautiful English Language we once treasured. Tuckle’s video included the line ‘being together but not actually being’ which I believe sums up the overall negative effect off social media perfectly, as social sites creates the illusion of company but without the confounding connection of friendship, that gives us the emotional relation we need to appreciate the value of living. Real life communications are essential otherwise we are going to shut ourselves off from our ever-changing world and ruin our course of positive evolution.
LikeLike
Has social media changed the way we communicate for the better?
Technology has become an eloquent and powerful method of communicating. It has given powerless people a voice and the ability to challenge the powerful. We can now discuss and organise things much quicker and easier without even leaving our house. We can now communicate instantly with people that live on the opposite side of the planet and we can even see them through video chats (e.g. Skype). Technology has made communicating much easier and much quicker; however, it does have its negatives.
We have the ability to edit and change what messages say before the other person sees them, so is it really a true reflection of ourselves? People now use technology to socialise more than they actually meet with each other and talk. When people are out with their friends, some people will be on their phones for the majority of the time; talking to other friends, ignoring the friends that they’re with.
Overall, I think that technology has changed the way that we communicate for the better because technology allows us to do things that we never thought would be possible – like video chatting someone in a different country or continent. However I think we become too absorbed in technology.
LikeLike
I think social media has had a massive impact on our communication with others. In a way yes, it is positive. I find it good how we can instantly talk to anyone, anywhere at any time. It benefits me in my day to day life. However I do miss going up to someone to talk and have a general conversation. And social media has made this become less and less of a normal occurrence. This is the main downfall to social media I believe. But however for me social media and technology will never beat having a face to face conversation.
LikeLike
Overall, I don’t think social media has changed communication for the better. It is beneficial for communicating over long distances and catching up with old friends, but I believe that is where the magic stops. Slowly but surely we are becoming oblivious to reality as our focus is drawn to our computer screens. People can hide behind the social media shield, knowing their inappropriate and sometimes hurtful language will go unpunished. As shown in the TED Talks videos, comments made online are much more permanent compared to the spoken word. As a result, more harm is done as statements are harder to withdraw. Additionally, we get so used to communicating via a screen, we forget the importance of face to face contact. We add emojis to simulate facial expressions, but surely a laughing cat will never show true emotion. Connecting with those far away is easy, but what about people next-door? In an attempt to interact with new people, we ignore the friends we already have. Gone will be the days of debates and discussions, instead we’ll just send a tweet with a variety of emojis.
LikeLike
To an extent it has because it allows us to show our opinions and communicate with people all across the world with no worry about time zones, quickness and whether it will actually be received. However, after watching the TED talks anything that is posted can be misinterpreted by different people and can have lasting effects on the person who posted the comment. Social media has given people a way to shame and bully people behind a screen that acts as a shield, when they wouldn’t usually say these things face to face. Furthermore, social media stops face to face conversations as it allows you to choose what you put your attention into and edit what you want to say, whereas in real life conversations you aren’t allowed to do this.so people prefer to communicate over social media as it is sometimes seen as easier. Overall, it has massively changed the way we communicate in a positive but mostly negative way.
LikeLike
My mind has been offered a clear alternative to the view of social media after watching the TED Talks. I still to some extent agree that social media is a powerful tool used in today’s society, as it gives us the ability to communicate world wide, and have a stronger connection with the events and people around us. However Social Media has many negative points in my eyes, It takes away people’s real identity and leaves them hiding behind a virtual screen, leading to naivety. The devices we use control our lives and destroy real emotion. Even the simplest tasks in our lives now seem more complicated than ever, as the ability to experience a natural un predicted conversation is impossible, everywhere you go, people’s minds are operating like automatic machines, missing the chances which are passing them by in reality. Social Media has also taken away our freedom of memory and imagination, as we feel the need to record, photograph, and write a status about anything we do, because a real face to face explanation isn’t seen as real evidence to a large proportion of people. We need to start benefiting from being alone instead of just feel lonely.
LikeLike
Although the TED talk videos do portray a darker, more sinister side to social media, I do still believe in the statement that social media has changed the way we communicate for the better. Due to the vastly growing landscape of social media, one of the most noticeable things that have become apparent is the sheer number of people you can now interact with. It has never been easier to communicate with someone across the world and even more simple than picking up the phone and calling someone. It has become a way of expressing ideas to a wider audience that could never have been done before. For example; earlier this year Nepal suffered a devastating earthquake, which completely broke lines of communications between people there and across the world. Facebook set up a device to allow people to ‘check in’ and show that they were safe, putting thousands of families minds at ease. This level of instant relief would not have been possible without social media. Most major points highlighted in the TED Talks were of a negative stance. Why must it also be so shadowed? We’re using social media now to complete this homework; focus on the positives.
LikeLike
I believe social media has changed the way in which we communicate for the better, before social media, we were extremely limited in our means to interact with others and we were limited largely to the people that we knew in-person. Also, all because of social media networks, we are now able to interact with thousands of people all over the world; this is why we see people who have thousands of Facebook friends or tens of thousands of Twitter followers. Without social media, that would be impossible. Social media networks allow us the opportunity to share opinions with a far wider audience. However, social media has not changed the way in which we communicate for the better as one potential risk of social networking cites most often is that of hacking. Incidents of profiles and accounts being hacked into are commonplace. Also, social media according to Sherry Turkle is ‘taking us places we do not want to go’ this is referring to becoming unpopular with no friends and living the sad life.
LikeLike
I believe that there are many points both for and against the argument that social media has affected the way we communicate positively. The two TED talks by Ronson and Turkle predominantly reflect on the negative aspects, however they only focus on particular events which do not accurately reflect the positive aspects of social media. Neither talks highlight cases where people have located and contacted lost family members or when people have come together to raise money on Twitter or Facebook for charitable causes. Nevertheless, social media has played a huge role in the recent surge of issues such as homophobia or body shaming which in some cases has led to people committing suicide as a result. The introduction and advancement of social media has also given people more freedom to express their opinions with less regard to the controversy they may cause. Despite this I believe that to some extent, it is possible to censor and control what you see on social media. Therefore I believe that social media affects us more positively than it does negatively, however this can quickly change depending on your actions and what you allow yourself to witness
LikeLike
To begin with I thought that maybe social media had changed the way in which we communicate for the better, for instance social media has provided us the opportunity to connect with people and build better relationships with friends with who we are unable to meet personally. With social media we are able to communicate our thoughts and perceptions over different topics with a large number of audiences, and allows voiceless people to realize they have a voice.
But really social media is an illusion of companionship without delusion of friendship. Phones for example are psychologically powerful and can change who we are as texts allow us to present ourselves as we want to be. They have control of our attention and allow us to hide from each other. Social media is basically a simple way out of face to face conversations as we expect more from it then others. So now I see it more as a weapon that has the power to control and dismantle lives. Things on social media can spread quickly. For example if someone post a joke it can be taken the wrong way. Social media can be a cause of depression, anxiety and suicide.
LikeLike
My view is that there is both positives and negatives that should be considered. Social media allows us to communicate in ways we never could before. We are able to talk to people instantly worldwide, having conversations without the need to be face to face. People can easily express opinions and thoughts to a wide audience of whoever they desire and we even have the choice to meet new people, without actually meeting them. However, the negative aspects of communicating using social media, some of which the TED talks highlighted, are important. People no longer make the effort or rely on having a conversation with someone face to face, instead we favour texting to have a conversation. People sharing their opinions on social media may seem perfectly fine, however it can ruin people’s lives. Others shame and humiliate people using social media, and no actions are made to stop it. People use social media as a means of bully as it allows them to hide behind a computer. The majority of people you see around will be using a phone. Social media is controlling and taking over our lives. Although social media is connecting us, it is making us more alone the more it develops. I personally believe that social media is having a positive impact on communication, however the negatives outweigh the positives, and we were better off speaking face to face with people.
LikeLike
Before watching the TED talks, I did not think communicating with others via Social Media had changed us very much. Although now after watching both I realise that things can becoming a huge ordeal online and can become very offensive and hurtful towards others. From the TED talk related to the racist remark regarding AIDS, I notice that the internet could be seen as an easy escape and and easy way to get our opinions out. In the long run however, the pure hatred and bullying the woman received due to her comment is not worth the hassle. Social Media is an easy way to stay connected with those who have maybe moved away or are just not accessible in person, but is it affecting the way we communicate in person? I think it is because of the phrases we may say out loud in person that originated from messages and media posts are used in person. For example, the phrase ‘YOLO’ originated from the internet and is now used by people in face to face conversations. So yes, I do think the way we communicate has been affected by Social Media, and not in a good way.
LikeLike
Has social media changed the way in which we communicate for the better?
Social media is used by 73% of the population; therefore this supports my belief that social media will have impacted people’s communication immensely. Our communications may have changed for the better due to social media as it enables us to connect with people all around the world. This is beneficial as we may find out about different cultures and diversity in our society: equally it may also enable people to communicate with others who are going through the same difficulties so social media enables us to give others support.
On the other hand social media may also have a negative impact upon peoples communication. This is because we could write a comment on a social media site and there could be an error of miscommunication- likewise to Justine Saco. After she tweeted, something she thought of as a joke, twitter trolls across the world began shaming her and made threatening comments towards her one of them being a threat of rape. In this case we can see that social media has negatively changed the way we communicate as it allows us say things and cause things to happen- such as Saco loosing her job- without actually having responsibility.
LikeLike
Has social media changed the way in which we communicate for the better?
Lottie Hargrave
Social media is used by 73% of the population; therefore this supports my belief that social media will have impacted people’s communication immensely. Our communications may have changed for the better due to social media as it enables us to connect with people all around the world. This is beneficial as we may find out about different cultures and diversity in our society: equally it may also enable people to communicate with others who are going through the same difficulties so social media enables us to give others support.
On the other hand social media may also have a negative impact upon peoples communication. This is because we could write a comment on a social media site and there could be an error of miscommunication- likewise to Justine Saco. After she tweeted, something she thought of as a joke, twitter trolls across the world began shaming her and made threatening comments towards her one of them being a threat of rape. In this case we can see that social media has negatively changed the way we communicate as it allows us say things and cause things to happen- such as Saco loosing her job- without actually having responsibility.
LikeLike
I believe that social media has changed our language for the worst. Social media has allowed us to sit behind this digital shield and say what ever comes into our heads with no consequences to our actions. Social media has given us a weapon and what some choose to do with this weapon, would be considered unspeakable in reality and unfortunately it’s more comman that people use this channel of communication as a weapon to hurt others,rather than to use it to be supportive and kind. In some aspect of life social media has broadened out channels of communication, no longer do we have to wait to talk to friends and family face-to-face, we can now talk with just a simple click of the mouse and begin talking to people on the other side of the world. But for me the cons out weighs the pros, as the evolution for our Language, because of social media, has taken a nose dive into a primitive and over simple way of speaking. Words like selfie just remind me that we are taking phrases like self portrait and shortening them necessarily. So over all I believe it has benefitted communication for the worse.
LikeLike
I think social media has changed the way we communicate however not for better, as it has made us unable to have conversations in person and made us too reliant on messaging each other. Rather than discuss with people around us we would rather just text people and talk on the virtual world.
LikeLike
Social media has definitely changed the way we communicate. Social media and devices have given us shields to hide behind, creating a version of ourselves that we wish to broadcast to the world and not just the few thousand people we know from in the flesh communication. These shields do protect us to some extent, but some people use these shields as a way of attacking rather than defending. It is so easy to shame or bully someone or make a nasty remark behind a keyboard because of the power it gives us to stay, for the majority of time, hidden- henceforth letting us as humans get away with things which really aren’t tolerable in real life face to face communication. Adapting to this channel of communication has meant that what was ‘the norm’ of communication ten years ago now seems scary or wrong as generation after generation grows up with this technology. Social media has however given us incredible opportunities to communicate with the majority of the world’s population in a matter of seconds, as well as sharing digital memories with others and has become a platform for more people to have their voice heard.
LikeLike
After watching the videos, I believe that technology has not necessarily changed our communication for the better. When you post something online, you can’t take it back. Therefore, if you have made a mistake with what you have posted or regret the post, there’s no turning back. You can delete most things, however someone is likely to have already viewed the post due to the overuse of social media. Furthermore, this overuse has turned people to put their online social lives, before their read world social lives, which means people are forgetting about the things that really matter, such as meeting up with their friends, as it’s more convenient to converse with them through a screen. If the conversation dies, the technology allows you to end the conversation, without seeming rude, as excuse can be made. This is not always possible in real life conversations. However, I do still believe that there are benefits to our communication due to technology, as in emergencies we now have mobile phones , which allow us to contact help immediately and if for example, a friend was to move away, technology allows you to be able to stay in touch through messaging on social networking sites, such as Facebook.
LikeLike
Social media has a huge amount of influence over our lives, particularly over the last 5-10 years, where technology has developed at a faster-than-ever pace. At the age of 11, I spent my summer holidays running around in the garden, seeing family and friends. This year, I went on a well deserved holiday with my family, but I couldn’t help but notice the amount of other families who were sat on the beach using their phones to message friends back at home, rather than appreciating and making the most of the time they had together before school and work commitments got in the way once again.
Don’t get me wrong, I love technology. I think that it’s a fantastic tool, and that everybody should use it. However I can’t help but think that the problem with technology is HOW people use it. On social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, there seems to be a sense of fearlessness; that people seem to think that they can say whatever they like without having to face consequences. Many people describe this as a digital shield, which is in-fact what this essentially is. My sister calls these kind of people ‘keyboard warriors’, a somewhat amusing tag, but also true to an extent. In my opinion, if a person is willing to say something to another via social media, but not to their face, then it isn’t a true reflection of that person’s personality. This is because you would only verbally say something if you were truly passionate about it, whereas using a laptop or mobile phone makes it easier to say things that you don’t really believe. In terms of communicating with other people, I also believe that social media hasn’t been that beneficial. It has caused a series of unnatural relationships between people, whereas, 15 or more years ago, relationships were built on companionship and trust. (An example of a modern relationship could be a group of friends that text each other a lot, but when together they don’t talk.) However, this isn’t always the case, as social media has developed friendships and relationships with people from the same school, and those who live in different areas of the world.
Although it has its benefits, social media has had an adverse affect from possibly what was desired. It can have a detrimental affects on the ability to communicate face-to-face, and the TED talks also enforced further the idea, to me, that social media has not changed the way in which we communicate for the better.
LikeLike
Social media- Your words are a doubled edged sword
Their is good and bad and bad to the internet; (in light of the new Starwars movie I will explain it like the ‘force’ as its very similar). The internet isn’t something you cant touch or feel, the internet also isn’t good or bad like the force. The dark and light side of the force are still part the same thing, the only split is the user and how they interact with it. So if you like hacking; identity theft or shaming someone you are using the internet (the same internet that can be used for good) for bad which can have a negative effect. If someone is really out of line; they need to be called out. However, if someone crosses the line, and who determines said line is up for debate, then, that’s just wrong. It’s one reason I don’t use the social media site “Twitter” myself. Also people need to be reminded there is a fine line between the good and the bad, normal people will hate someone just to follow the crowd and avoid speaking against the masses. However this fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate and hate leads to suffering. On the other hand people who use the power of the internet to connect with people, organize charity events and generally to socialize with people they wouldn’t have normally met are using the internet for a good and ethical purpose. This i believe is what the internet was envisioned to become. Not a faceless mob which allows normal people , like you, to destroy someones life. To leave you with one thought when you look at the dark side of the internet, careful you must be, because the dark side looks back.
LikeLike
Once, before watching these TED talks, I believed social media had a positive effect on communication. I thought it opened our eyes to new opportunities and people, building connections and helping us to develop ourselves. However, my opinions have become far more negative than they were before. Although I still believe our prospects for development have expanded, I now see that social media could be more damaging than I first thought. Instead of helping us build relationships, technology is leading us into a place of isolation; a place where there is the illusion of intimacy without the constant demands of the real world. Social media is not only changing what we do, it’s changing who we are as we slowly sacrifice conversation and our ability to show people the ‘real us’ in order to have a much simpler connection with people which requires no real intimacy. As well as damaging ourselves, we are damaging other people. The next generation will learn from our actions and categorize loneliness as the norm therefore feeling no need to have a ‘real’ conversation again. Twitter is a great example of how ideology has surfaced above the importance of humans – creating ‘constant artificial… dramas’. Before, we saw social media as a way to express ourselves without being judged – a way to connect with others. However our lack of empathy and public shaming has made us more paranoid than ever and is turning our democratic world, where our voices carry so much power, into one where no one dares to speak – a voiceless society.
LikeLike
Has social media changed the way in which we communicate for the better?
When presented with the argument of the positivity or negativity of technology’s affect of human communication, it is difficult to take one sole objective view. This is because, whilst there are undeniable negative impacts, it is difficult to ignore the positive also. Chats online often require constant attention, being entirely synchronously, which calls for a concise and quick reply, meaning that the use of online communication teaches us how to be concise in communicating our thoughts and therefore how to express ourselves. As brought up in TED talks, technology gives ‘voice to the voiceless’ and allows us to always be heard and express ourselves when, in reality, someone could have trouble in doing so. A socially anxious person can find confidence and solace online, find people like them, find help which can give them that communication they are lacking. People can express themselves online in ways that reality just can’t allow. But this isn’t always a good thing. As with online expression, comes anonymity, and this is where the topic darkens.
Are people too free to talk?
It is undeniable that the effect of the freedom of online expression and communication allows for online ‘hate’ and cyberbullying which is often anonymous. The internet in many ways works as a crowd the individual becomes faceless in, bringing the effect of deindividuation online. People says things online that they would never do so in reality. Is this because they’re anonymous? Ronson’s talk gave but one example of the ways in which online communication destroyed one woman’s life and it presents us with the undeniable fact the we are all vulnerable on the internet. We could all easily find ourselves in that woman’s place. And at the same time, we could all easily find ourselves in those people who sent the tweets who ruined her life’s place. All as a result of the freedom and anonymity of online expression and communication.
LikeLike
Technology, on one hand, has enabled the general population to communicate for the better. It gives many people the ability to communicate around the globe, with others we may not have a chance to have a conversation with otherwise. It opens our eyes to new experiences and opportunities, that once may not have become familiar to us without it. However, the now overuse to social media, and the reliance of it is giving people the ability to hide behind a screen and still say that are being ‘social’. After watching the TED talks I can now see that social media produces a kind of power many may not experience in their everyday lives. In a world when power and control fuel a people’s lives, many find it reassuring to stay behind a screen where they can have these abilities’. Yet, this is beginning to spiral out of control, and many lives are being ruined by simple mistakes made on the internet. By misreading a text or tweet, many find themselves being socially shamed as that don’t then have a chance to explain themselves before the message has reached many other devices worldwide. Many chose to hurt another person, as from behind a screen you cannot see the damage you’re doing. You simply turn off your device and go to sleep, without even caring what is happening the other side. Others tend to hide behind the screen as a way of protection, as we are all worried about being heard, we know when we put on social media people will read what we have to say whether they want to or not. It’s all about being socially accepted and believing in with the ideology that technology is improving us as people, when in fact its destroying humanity as we know it.
LikeLike
Prior to watching the videos, I believed that technology had changed the way we communicate for the better, as it had provided us with extraordinary opportunities to remain connected with old friends and relatives, and allowed us to develop new relationships with people who are just like us. While this may still be true, my view has become far more negative than before, as my eyes have been opened to the damaging effects of technology and social media. While it is still believed that technology is a major stepping stone in the development of our world, there is strong cause to suggest that instead of keeping us connected with others, it is dragging us down into a place where we will eventually end up completely alone. New technologies provide comfort for people, and acts a sort of security blanket in times of vulnerability. It is there as a means of protection from intimacy and loneliness, when in fact it is tearing us away from what is real. What’s damaging is the illusion of companionship, which is the example of behaviour that is presented to younger generations, therefore that is how they will behave. This leads us to believe that the future is a very lonely place for most people, as loneliness is taught as being the ‘norm’, therefore real conversation may no longer exist. People fear their inability to edit or delete speech, hence conversation is avoided for the safer option of a quick text message where its devoid of any threat of making a fool of ourselves. In general people favour the means of communication that allows for manipulation and control. In the origins of social media websites such as Twitter and Facebook, people saw a brilliant opportunity to stay connected and make new friends- ‘it helped voiceless people find a voice’. People sought common ground with others by sharing moments from their lives or revealing facts and secrets about themselves. On the contrary to this, in the recent years, it has become quite common to see the public shaming and the judgements on people, from people who hide behind a computer screen, and it has gradually taken over our lives. Social media has become more of a weapon to destroy and dismantle people’s lives without feeling remorse or regret. To avoid being targeted people are forced to remain silent, and therefore sink back down into their pit of loneliness where their voice is once again nowhere to be found.
LikeLike
Technology has a split set of views around it. One the one hand, it has opened up a world that means we are never short of communication and the latest news. It means that we able to keep in contact with our peers in an easy way. However, has social media gone too far? In the first of the two TED the focus of the talk is on social media shaming, it talks about how in extreme circumstances and in the case of Justine Socco, twitter as one example of social media can be used to dehumanize people and make a massive impact on peoples lives. When people are happy to sit behind their screens they have no shame. With the help of trends and retweets, one simple can go viral. So is it a good thing that social media can take this much control and make something go round globally? Furthermore, with the use of social media and people constructing tweets it is unclear of peoples emotions which means they can be taken in different ways to what they intended. Twitter has been described as something that requires social approval, and people are constantly looking for a reply or humour or a retweet in order to achieve social approval. It looks into the idea of two different types of people, humans vs ideology. The second of the TED talks about how social media has just gone too far, it has been allowed that social media takes us to places we don’t want to be. The virtual world started off experimenting how far it can be stretched, but has it gone too far? It distracts us from day to day life, it gives us control over where we want to focus our attentions, by having a conversation over texting means that we don’t have control over what we say and it is real time and people are increasingly preferring this and would chose this over a conversation. I believe this is becoming an increasing problem as people don’t know the art of being able to have a conversation face to face.
LikeLike
Both of the TED talks show the power and emotion that can be portrayed over social media. The first of the TED talks discusses the importance of how one tweet can have so much meaning and importance, and most importantly how it can be misconstrued. I believe this is one of the main issues with technology and how fights, break ups and most of all shamming can be caused. The importance of technology in our lives now shows how easily things can be spread, impacting peoples lives. One comment, emotion or opinion can be turned against you and be used to demoralise you by others comments. We have all seen this happen whether it’s Twitter or Facebook people are always getting targeted for mistakes made because they have been made public. The discussion of this in the first of the two TED talks has made me realise the importance of language and how individuals can misread things which can very easily get out of hand.
Throughout the second talk I couldn’t get rid of the idea stated at the beginning ‘they don’t only change what we do, they change who we are’. I agree with this statement and find it frightening the impact that social media has on our lives now. The idea that due to the result of social media we are distancing ourselves and that we have to now learn how to have a conversation. Future generations may possibly have issues with conversation as they will be born into a world that may only communicate via phones, Skype etc. The idea of loneliness in the title also makes me think that this is an issue even now because of technology. Every point discussed does occur and we can see. I watched these videos having a vague idea of the impact however, the videos have just supported and expanded my views. We do expect more from technology than we do from each other.
LikeLike
It is a fact that social media is constantly changing the way we communicate and is something that is used every day and dependently by countless people. However, after watching two discussions by Jon Ronson and Sherry Turkle, my personal opinion on its impact in society has changed and has brought the unconscious immorality and isolation that we experience on both a device and the internet to my attention. When social media was born, there was an excitement in the efficiency and usefulness of how we could now communicate. As Ronson stated, when it began, “voiceless people realised that they had a voice”, for example by using the website ‘Twitter’, if something had happened or been phrased in a Newspaper that we didn’t agree with, we were able to voice our feelings and hit back with a strong weapon; we were suddenly part of a social media shaming. In the beginning of this, many thought and in fact still think that through this democratisation of justice, we are able to make the world a better place. But there is a blurred line here and this is rediscussed in Turkle’s speech in the idea that texting is the better than having an actual conversation. Through an example that Ronson used in how a woman, Justine Thako, was abused through making a simple misconstrued tweet, I was shocked at how the nation used the idea that she had ‘abused her privilege’ and therefore they abused her in every way possible for justification yet this was familiar and I had seen many examples of it. In fact, although it’s horrible to think of, if someone sees something like this on twitter today, they enjoy in the idea that their life is safe and someone else’s life is being torn apart. We are able to destroy people through an indirect communication without feeling guilty, taking away the idea of this victim having any feelings and simply many different societies coming together dismantling one person’s life. In the example of Justine Thako, she sent the tweet just before getting on a plane and as she was unable to explain herself , we found a prime opportunity to take her words and pretend to be compassionate towards people who had what she had ‘ mocked’. The irony of this is that, through acting compassionate towards a minority group that she had mentioned, we were uncompassionate and inhuman to her. We used social media, in a negative way with the desire to be perceived as compassionate. I agree with Ronsons idea that we have used social media and created such a strong surveillance society where the smartest way is to go back to being voiceless. Turkle similarly argued in the idea of misconstrued emotions through texting and how we cannot compare how we communicate virtually to how we actually communicate in reality. Although when we actually verbally communicate their are imperfections and hesitations, they make us who we are and without them, if we were texting, we create an artificial language that frames who we want to be, not who we are. Social media may on the surface make us feel as though we are connected to every place at once and in control of our own lives however we are only isolating ourselves more and more every day. Being in the central paradox myself, I use my phone and many apps daily to keep a constant relationship with the rest of the world, however I agree that through stepping away from having actual real conversations, we compromise our capacity for self reflection. We feel that when nobody is listening to us, if we turn to technology, we seem to have thousands of automatic listeners and this can be comforting for a time. Social media can seem to have a positive impact in how it appeals to us when we are vulnerable, it offers us the idea that we will never have to be alone. Being alone now feels like a problem that needs to be solved, it is more a symptom than a cure. But we shouldn’t see being alone as a negative thing, we need time for solitude, it is misconstrued as a bad thing. It allows us to reflect and find the real us. Social media has the ability to take away how we are actually a separate person to how we are portrayed online. We need to communicate more directly and accept the imperfectness of life and to disengage with the artificial perfect world that we obsess over. We constantly change ourselves, when we don’t need to. We only listen to things that we find interesting, but if we listened to even the boring bits, we will find our real language and reveal who we truly are. Social media isn’t a bad thing, but when using it, we need to develop a more self aware relationship with ourselves and not let it control how we think and communicate. I have found that it is when we feel most connected on social media with the rest of the world, that in reality, this is when we are most vulnerable and alone.
LikeLike
After watching both TED talks, it has reinforced my views that social media has changed our lives for the worst. Although I can see it comes with many beneficial aspects such as quickly interacting and communicating with people all around the world, many people have now become reliant on social media and use it as a replacement of any face to face conversation. When posting something online it is then permanent and much harder to erase. This therefore means that social media has led us to use it as a way of bullying and shaming those that have been wrongly accused of saying something inappropriate. This is mainly due to the screen between us, people viewing it as a shield and barrier between others, therefore meaning they can post what ever they want. It means that it now allows us to post things that would never be acceptable to say in a face to face conversation. I think social media has many positive aspects to our lives, however the negatives definitely outweigh these and a face to face conversation should much more common that it is becoming.
LikeLike
Before watching these videos, with slight debate, I would have come to the conclusion that social media has changed the way we communicate for the better. However, the points that were made, especially from Sherry Turkle, have changed my views on the matter. Turkle decided that these devices that we all use so frequently have ‘not only changed what we do’ but ‘they have changed who we are’. We, in the first world, rely on our phones to be able to ‘communicate’ and ‘stay sociable’ with the rest of the world, when in fact this is doing the opposite. The moment we pick up our phones; we isolate ourselves from the people around us. We think that texting someone is better than having a real conversation with them because it gives us the opportunity to plan our responses, when in fact it is destroying our social skills. From a personal view, I am able to see the effect social media has had. From the moment I received my first device and comparing that to now; I am able to support the fact that my social skills have declined. I find it more difficult to have a conversation with someone now than I would have those years ago. Some people could argue that it is because of the age but if we think about it; wouldn’t it make more sense for me to have better social skills now that I’m older?
When looking at how we communicate in the world of social media rather than outside; Jon Ronson highlights the fact that in many cases we use it in a negative way. He describes it as a ‘place of radical de-shaming’. Putting someone behind a screen, gives them the confidence to say what they want as they know there are no direct repercussions. There is no one next to them who will immediately give them feedback on their actions and therefore we use this to our advantage. Ronson said ‘voiceless people become voiced’; people will say things that they would not have usually said even if it is for the worse. This is when social media can get nasty. Since technology has been introduced, there is a new type of bullying that schools had to make pupils aware of, cyberbullying. This is the result of social media being used badly. Of course there are many advantages of using social media, for instance staying in touch with a friend who has moved to another country. However, if social media didn’t exist, you were more likely to have taken a flight to go and see them rather than talking to them through a device.
LikeLike
Prior to watching the TED talks included in this blog post my answer would’ve been no, without question. Why? Quite simply, I considered social media to be blamed for problems within the way we now communicate and after watching them my answer is still a big fat no.
I cannot deny that social media is a fantastic thing. People now build friendships with people that have similar interests to them, people we believe don’t live near us, but is social media to blame for this belief? Has it stopped us from actively getting to know people we live near and instead turn to those thousands of miles away? Social media appears to have become a virtual family, it takes in the lonely, depressed, scared and victimised. It offers them support. It unites us, answers our unanswered questions and brings us closer together. But, whether we like to accept it or not there is unquestionably a much darker side to social media. This is highlighted profoundly by John Ronson. In his TED talk he explains how social media has given the voiceless a voice, a way to hit back at perceived injustice which is surely one of its greatest attributes. However, he then goes on to reveal the story of how one tweet ruined an innocent woman’s life. From what Ronson says it seems the woman was treated by social media as merely shy of a murderer when in fact all she did was (rather naively) share an un-funny tweet. This is a side of a social media many of use choose to shy away from and ignore. It is this ‘dark side’ of social media that illustrates perfectly why social media has not changed the way we communicate for the better.
In Sherry Turkle’s TED talk she discusses how we are letting social media take us to places we don’t want to go. She shares with us how in 1996 a book she wrote got her on the cover of wired magazine because she was celebrating social media, something we all want to happen, an ideology we approve of. Then in 2012 she wrote a book which did not see her put on the cover of a magazine. Why? Because she questioned social media. Something we don’t like, something we don’t want to happen because we have become reliant on it, we don’t like to see social media, something we use every day, to be be portrayed in a bad light. Turkle also goes on to talk about control, social media enables us to portray ourselves as the person we want to be, not the person we really are. This brings me to question, do we really know who any one is on social media? Are internet superstars, those who some of us idolise and model ourselves on real people? Or are they just edited version of themselves? Even more worryingly, are they a completely different person?
LikeLike
There is no doubt that rapid advances in technology including the use of social media is having a large effect on language. Prior to watching these TED talks, my personal beliefs was that social media has changed the way in which we communicate for the better. Why? It has allowed groups of people with similar interests, connections and enjoyments to come together, sharing and enjoying what each other has to say. It is a platform which enables ‘voiceless people to have a voice which is powerful’ as Jon Ronson phrases it. However, Ronson builds an argument to explain that the ‘smartest way to survive is to be voiceless’.
Social networks such as Twitter has the advantage of forming a unity between people, however this unity is being used to shame others and ‘put ideology over humans.’ It is evident to me that people use social media for the security of themselves and to gain the approval of others. Ronson describes this as a ‘mutual approval machine.’ People strive to get likes and share in other peoples situations and opinions. This is supported by the case of Justine Sacco where a simple misunderstanding of the intention of a post led to a mass of offensive and threatening actions.
Sherry Tuckle’s TED talk expresses that technology, especially the use of social media, is taking us to places that we don’t want to go. The power held within our devices is described by Tuckle to be ‘so psychologically powerful that they don’t only change what we do, they change who we are.’ Our communication is being damaged by the way in which we are getting used to being ‘alone together.’ It is now seen as socially acceptable by many people to be at meetings, funerals, breakfast and even be with friends, yet be connected to others on their phones. I firmly believe, along with Tuckle, that this is due to people loving control that talking over technology has compared to having a conversation. We live in a lonely society where technology provides us with the ‘illusions of companionship without the demands of friendship.’ I firmly believe that if we do not improve our communication skills in person, loneliness is only going to increase.
LikeLike
Before watching the TED talks my simple answer to the question would have been no. I believe that social media, since its beginning, has indoctrinated people, young and old, to believe and think in certain ways that do not reflect reality. After watching the two speeches, my answer is an even more concrete no.
There is evidence that social media opens new doors to how and when we communicate. For example, Facebook connects old friend and allows people to stay in contact from distanced family members. Twitter connects people to celebrities and their idols and allows them to follow the news. I believe that if used in the right way, then social media is an innovative way to stay connected and up to date.
However, from Jon Ronson’s speech it is clear that social connections can sometimes be taken too far and ultimately too seriously. Negative press and responses can lead to a person devaluing their life, as it is clear that once something is written down, it is out there forever – even after it has been deleted. People can become isolated from the people they share their life with in an instant due to one miscommunicated error. There is also the problem that certain messages can be taken the wrong way, and the way something is written down online is most probably not meant to sound as it would in real life conversation. Social media such as Twitter shows a dysfunctional way that people can come together as a community to fight for a cause; but does that ultimately lead to the question of – do you ever really know who you’re communicating with online? And are people constantly being left feeling regretful of their posts on a certain social media sight?
In the second speech, Sherry Turkle goes as far as to say that while the technological generation advances, people are beginning to remove themselves from everyday life and communication and choosing to only listen to what they find interesting. She says that people can’t get enough of each other’s company, but only if they aren’t together. Through the development of technology, people are beginning to live their lives through social media instead of actually using it for the cause it was originally made for. More and more people, of various ages, prefer to use social media, as real conversation cannot be controlled in a way that posts and texts can. Through technological advancement we are beginning to design technology that gives the illusion of companionship without the demands of friendship, so people are yet again able to remove themselves from the ‘real world’ by entering a stream of fantasy that is created by the inhabitants of social media. It is also clear that as a generation, we have become so dependent on technology and social media that when there is no connection, we no longer feel like ourselves, almost like we’re lost.
It seems as though social media is tearing people away from everyday normality. People create ‘fake’ personas for their online ‘friends’ through the use of edit buttons and photo filters. So this leads me to question, will we ever escape the grasp of the ever advancing technology and social media sites that are beginning to live our lives for us? Will we ever know the real people behind the names on our ‘friends list’? And our these people really ever our ‘friends’?
As we stray ever further from reality due to social media, this leads me to answer the question that social media has certainly not changed our lives for the better. As time goes on, more and more people are dragged into the virtual lives of online forums, and the benefits of social media sites are only very minimal.
LikeLike
Before watching both TED talks my opinion on whether social media has changed the way we communicate with each other for the better, was that yes, social media developed a quick and easy way to communicate with other people, it seemed beneficial as it allowed people to voice their opinions and thoughts to audiences, who at a touch of a button could respond. Social media allows you to find and connect with just about anyone.
However, social media can be very damaging as it allows people to have the power to speak negatively too. Websites such as twitter allow people to voice their cruel opinions behind computer/phone screens. When posting something online it can be seen by everyone’s eyes, nasty, thoughtless comments can lead to a lot of suffering and isolating, and it is social media that is allowing us to do so and get away with it. Everything online is there for everyone to see, for example Jon Ronson talks about Justine Sacco and the hate she received by tens of thousands of people from one small meaningless comment. That meaningless joke spiralled out of control in a number of hours, completely ruined her life, lost her job, and was the reason she received disgusting comments from thousands of people, she was judged and categorised as a ‘racist’ from two sentences she perceived and wrote as a joke. It goes to show that social media can leave deep mental scars from these online attacks.
Now answering that question again, I do believe that social media has a negative impact on communication as it makes many people feel vulnerable and isolated.
LikeLike
Before watching both TED talks my opinion on whether social media has changed the way we communicate with each other for the better, was that yes, social media developed a quick and easy way to communicate with other people, it seemed beneficial as it allowed people to voice their opinions and thoughts to audiences, who at a touch of a button could respond. Social media allows you to find and connect with just about anyone.
However, social media can be very damaging as it allows everyone to have the power to speak. Websites such as twitter allow people to voice their negative and cruel opinions behind computer/phone screens. When posting something online it can be seen by everyone’s eyes, nasty, thoughtless comments can lead to a lot of suffering and isolating, and it is social media that is allowing us to do so and get away with it. Everything online is there for everyone to see, for example Jon Ronson talks about Justine Sacco and how she received hate from thousands of people from one comment she made on twitter that she considered a joke. Cyber-bullying in which the perpetrators, anonymously terrorize individuals in front of their peers can leave deep mental scars from these online attacks and can really affect peoples lives.
LikeLike
Before watching these two interesting videos, my opinion on social media was that it benefited our communication as it provided a wide array of interaction with other people around the world and discussing certain views and opinions with other people that have similar interests and thoughts. however each of the TED talks have changed my opinion greatly. Realised from the Jon Ronson speech, people that express their views freely can have a dramatic influence on people therefore he believes that ‘the smartest way to survive is to be voiceless.’
Jon Ronson describes the likes of Twitter as ‘radical de-shaming’ as people purposely inspect other people’s views to find negatives as they know that they can write what they want as they feel safe and in control on the internet. Other negative aspects of the way in which social media provides communication is that many people sometimes eradicate face to face communication as it’s easier to plan what is going to said however our social skills won’t benefit from this. The second speech from Sherry Turkle suggests that people are starting to live their lives through social media therefore it’s being to remove them from everyday life, people are becoming dependant on technology which suggests that some people are almost seeing it as an essential. He expresses his view that it doesn’t just change what we do, it changes who we are as a person and our communication is being adapted and damaged because of it.
LikeLike
I think its very easy for us to spout out reasons that social media has made a positive change to our lives. Interacting with people outside of our immediate environment, exposing us to global not just national news etc. Some people even see it as a platform for democracy where you can voice your opinion and someone is bound hear it. Some of the rules our parents told us as children have flew out the window as now interacting with strangers on-line is somewhat more desirable than communicating with people we know from the non virtual world. Studies have suggested that 33% of teenage Facebook users are friends with people they have never met in person, but I believe this is likely to be even higher. Not only does this pose a safety issue but it also allows us to deceive those who we only know virtually and portray ourselves how we want to be perceived. We are all guilty of only posting photos or status’ that only show us in a good light. This is something most of us do subconsciously as it is in our nature to desire to be liked. But some take it to a new extreme and create a whole new alter-ego on-line. Programmes such as ‘Catfish’ document cases where people pretend to be someone they are not and the outcome is almost always negative. Sometimes having the ability to edit, delete and retouch is a good thing but often it can lead to us making an artificial image of ourselves and very little people know us for who we truly are. We are also beginning to see the effects of technology on younger generations, loosing skills such as retaining eye contact in conversations. We seem to be under the illusion that social media is making us more social when infact we are all isolating ourselves and creating barriers. Going to concerts there used to be hands in the air and how all you see is phones. People are desperate to document what they are doing to post on-line that they forget to participate and enjoy the experience while they are there. There are pros and cons to social media but in the future I think we will begin to see undesirable long term effects on how we communicate as people. Naturally, humans are social beings and perhaps social media is just the new way to interact and its neither positive or negative. Similar to the way in which descriptivists think of language. But personally I think its gone too far and we’ve forgotten the sole purpose of social media, to be social.
LikeLike
Social media has had a vast and arguable impact on the way we communicate in the modern day. There are two different sides to the argument and many reasons to back up with both of these opinions, whether negative or positive. Personally I believe that social media has had a relatively positive impact on the way in which we communicate. Family, friends and old peers are now able to communicate and keep in touch with each other in a way that they never have been able to before. Social media websites means people can talk and stay in touch when they are apart. This has had massive beneficial effect on a numerous array of types of relationships.
As well as this, these communication websites can also give people a voice and help them to stand up against and for causes that they believe in, as Jon Ronson points out towards the start of his TED speech. People are now able to fight and shame issues that they disagree with, which is a brilliant thing. But, this isn’t always a positive thing. Social communication has also lead to public displays of shaming and putting other people down, whether they deserve it or not. Although this is slightly negative and unneeded I believe social communication is helpful and beneficial to helping people communicate.
However, I do also agree with the other argument, that points out that communication via social media has it flaws. Social media has had a negative impact on real life communication. As nowadays communication via social media is on the rise, physical communication, whether this be talking in real life, writing letters, or even calling someone on a telephone, has been effected for the worse. But overall I believe without social media, modern day communication would be much more difficult, and that it does in fact play a positive role on communication.
LikeLike