Social Media and Human Communication - Essay Example

Social Media and Human Communication

Social Media has Improved Human Communication

Social media has primarily affected present-day life bringing a great revolution in the communication sector. Digitalization has both pros and cons inclusive of information delivery, feeding the public with updates concerning their surroundings, socialization, marketing, and product promotion, just to mention but a few. The use of social media involves using technology to improve communication, thus making it an interactive dialogue. Social media includes different sites such as Internet forums, podcasts, social blogs, social bookmarking, and photographs, just to mention but a few. Social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Skype, and My Space are diversely used for communication. In present-day life, youngsters are tied to different media platforms where they keep in touch with their peers. Different groups of people use social platforms to share information and knowledge. Sharing of information on social media aids individuals, especially students and learners, in improving their communication skills. The public uses social media to disseminate and share information while companies use this facet to create a right name. Technology has changed the social character of both the community and personal level. Online life has transformed people's way of life, especially how they communicate and the thoughts individuals have regarding communication. However, the use of social media has a flip side, which alters the ethical aspect of society. Despite social media being praised for bringing diversification, a lot of hitches have been tagged along inclusive of deterioration of morals, especially among youths, individuals lacking time for their families and friends hence reducing chances of face to face interactions. This paper looks into the impact social media has had on human communication and the society at large.

Positive Impacts of Social Media on Human Communication

Social networking platforms have been praised for their ability to facilitate sharing ideas, interests, activities, and even events among individual networks. Networking services create a connection among people with similar interests ranging from political to economic aspects. Teachers and learners use social networks as tools of communication. Groups, forums, and chat rooms created by teachers aid learners in carrying out their assignments and projects outside the classroom setting. Teachers post homework in terms of tests and quizzes on these walls to reach their students despite not being in a sit-down situation. Groups formed by learners on social networks offer platforms for discussions of a variety of ideologies. Social networks link people despite the distance, thus reducing the communication gap. Technology allows for the creation of virtual communities that entail individuals who share interests making it easy to connect and share the different ideas all parties possess. Media technology has made the journey of content creators smooth since they can easily interact with their audience. Additionally, sharing ideas and views has become relatively efficient as there is a bar to reach out to one another.

Most of the sites present in social networks provide essential content regarding diverse topics hence a source of information. Also, information available can be accessed at very affordable rates while some content is freely offered. Social media is an essential marketing tool that benefits firms and organizations as they are provided a platform to advertise the products and services they offer. Moreover, social networks have allowed companies to receive customer opinions, feedback, and thoughts. The firms are also able to share their plans and update clients on the available products. This marketing procedure acts as an efficient marketing strategy that aims to draw consumers and receive the public's opinion. Customers' feedback helps the organizations make corrections where need be and redesign certain products according to their customers' desires. Social media gives companies a chance to upgrade their services and receive the views of their consumers—interaction with customers aids in running the business in the desired direction to increase their productivity. Social networks are essential to organizations as they are tools for customer interaction, feedback, and support.

Digital platforms are necessary for solving disasters facing nations and organizations when public relations tools flop. In case of crisis or disputes, social networks are used to broadcast peace messages since a vast number of individuals can be reached. They are also efficient since many individuals can access the forums at very affordable prices (Palen & Hughes 2018). For instance, in a case where natural calamities occur, many people will learn about it as the news spread in many digital platforms. Also, measures to protect oneself and precautions will spread like wildfire; therefore, awareness is created at the end of the day.

Cons of Social Media on Human Communication

The issue of privacy in digital network has been a major concern due to the association of cases such as human trafficking and murder. Daily, many people, especially the young lot, face challenges resulting from social networks where they are bullied, harassed, and scammed. Cyberbullying, harassment, and online scamming have been associated with mental health problems. Anxiety and depression are some of the conditions that result from the poor treatment individuals are subjected to in digital networks. Suicidal thoughts and cases that result from self-hate and low self-esteem have led to the loss of many youths who are carried away by the mistreatment present in those networks.

Social networks break family ties as many individuals tend to be carried away hence spending less time with their families. Additionally, youths prefer talking and chatting with their social media friends instead of banking on family members. Family bonds break once communication among family members is altered when people lack time to interact and share their miseries and successes. Also, when members opt to share their miseries with people on another end instead of close relatives, siblings, and guardians, they avoid judgmental comments. Addiction is also another con that results from the excessive use of social networks. This is a hitch that is vivid among the young lot who spend too much time on media platforms to an extent they cannot stay away from these sites (Valkenburg 2017). The youths get hooked on social sites and are unproductive to their parents and neglect studies due to excessive engrossing. Lastly, addiction to social networks among youths leads to laziness and lackadaisical behaviors as they find it hard to part with their gadgets.

Moreover, Not every content available online is resourceful, especially to teenagers. Certain social sites promote immorality hence poor morals. For instance, pornographic films viewed by the wrong audience, information about malice, and content about violence are some of the content present online that once mishandled may cause vital damages. Employees who are addicts of social media and who frequently visit online sites can be fatal. This is so since they may spend too much time on their gadgets accessing the sites leading to them neglecting their duties at work (Wang et al., 2016). Reduced productivity at work may cost one of their jobs or even lose a title.

Despite social media being an essential tool in handling customers, face to face consultations always carries the day. One on one conversations with customers have been proven to be more efficient than what takes place on social networks. Solid consultations are always fruitful since the client is always in a position to ask all the questions where they need clarification. Also, despite social media playing a major role in improving one's social life, there is a major risk of losing a strong connection with the present environment. The moment addiction to social media takes control, and one prefers keeping in touch with people from a different world, the bond between them and their surrounding weakens.

Furthermore, social media is said to offer resourceful information, but it may also offer misleading information, contrary to societal expectations. Therefore, for the information offered on these media platforms to serve the intended purpose, parental guidance is necessary especially to the young generation. Additionally, many individuals have experienced setbacks resulting from the desire to fit in with the highlife their peers potray on their social changes. The use of technology to broadcast the message of peace in case of disasters has been found effective, but it is accompanied by hitches (Palen & Hughes 2018). The problems that might be experienced is that some people may use the platforms to preach hate and disunity. For firms that market their products and services on digital platforms, these networks have been of great importance as they have facilitated the purchase of products and services (Schivinski 2016). However, some people take advantage and scam their clients making it difficult for other clients to trust digital marketers and promoters.

In conclusion, social media is both positive impacts and setbacks on human communication and how one leads their life at large. Restricting youngsters from using different social networks is hard to chew, making it necessary for parents and guardians to closely monitor their children. Digitalization has altered the way people communicate, and even a massive reduction in interactions has been witnessed. The notable transformation in the communication facet is a natural development that needs to be understood to relay the appropriate message. The positive and negative consequences of digitalization ought to be studied so as to identify how to handle any hitches that may emerge. Facebook and WhatsApp are the most commonly used networks since they have the benefit of reaching many individuals globally and within a short period. Additionally, through this medium, a vast number of people can be contacted within a given duration. Communication is a key factor in human life, especially how they operate and lead their lives. Therefore an advancement in the communication sector with a developed social network is a bonus to societal norms. Concisely, social media has been both beneficial and draining to the human race, and for it to serve the intended purpose, a lot of care is required. Lastly, intervention from learned individuals is trivial so that the challenges faced can be solved rightfully.