Interpersonal communication and the internet - Research Paper Example

People relying solely on social media for interpersonal communication may judge their relationship partners on the basis of limited information. There is a probability of electronic transmission of threats making college life complicated for some students. Facebook is the cause of distraction and often plays the role of a life savior for otherwise socially awkward students. Internet, sometimes, promotes racism and hatred making interpersonal communication among the people of different beliefs almost improbable.

Schools, colleges and universities should allocate some time and resources to equip students with the basic ethics of online communication. Interpersonal Communication and the Internet The most significant characteristic of a man is his ability to communicate with his fellow human beings to achieve the desired outcomes. Man has always struggled to develop and expand the means of communication available to him. In recent years, internet and online social networks including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, and Tumblr have revolutionized the field of communication.

People have become so reliant on technology that those who tend to disconnect themselves from it seem odd to the rest of the people. Internet provides a medium to vent frustration and social anxiety and is an easier way to communicate. But the controlling influence of social media, increasing reliance on internet leading to a decline in interpersonal communications, probability of electronic transmission of threats and promotion of racism and hatred often outweigh its advantages. The internet has no doubt transformed the world into a global village.

However, at the same time, the yawning gaps between people in their interpersonal relationship seem to get bigger day by day. Women, in earlier times, used to gather at the river to wash their clothes. This provided them with an opportunity to mingle with the people living in the same locality. With the introduction of new technologies and easier ways to wash, a decrease in interpersonal communication is apparent as the people in general and women in particular no longer gather at the river. The same explanation can be presented to explain the decline in interpersonal relationships due to the creation of innovative and technologically advanced communication tools including the internet and the social media.

People have become less interdependent and more self-governing. Even the advertising campaigns seem to promote it. As far as the impact of internet is concerned, millions of emails are sent by people to their friends, relatives and colleagues every day making it tremendously unproblematic to communicate. Internet, on one hand, has a number of advantages. Conversely, on the other hand, it has dramatically reduced the exchange of information among the masses. Those who use these forms of communication may evaluate their relationship partners on the basis of inadequate information.

Internet, indeed, encourages the growth in interpersonal communication. However, those who entirely rely on online means encounter difficulties in face to face communications (Riqdon). Studies suggest that students use internet mainly for finding people, seeking, distraction, coping and E-mail. The availability of internet on the college campuses, provision of free email addresses to the students and high speed broadband connection-equipped