Communication has evolved and transformed along with us, with newer technologies and lucrative tools we all have seen how the new media has changed the way we used to share our emotions, thoughts and beliefs in the society.
We have always heard and believed that food, shelter and clothing are the primary needs of a human being but maybe not now. These were the considerations made a decade back where hardly anyone had heard about the presence of social media. With the technological advancements, the dependence of our mobile phones, internet connection and the increasing usage of social media a lot has changed. Social media has brought the world closer. Just with the installation of a few applications one can reach out to people living hundreds of miles away. Social media has not only found new ways of communication but it has altered the older ones too. If we observe our own pattern of communication, we will see that most of us are now more inclined towards texting people rather than calling them, or meeting them casually.
Gone are the days where there was excitement in telling a friend how beautiful she looked in that photograph. But now social media applications have made it way more convenient for us to say a lot in less words, simply with the features of comment and like, a lot is said in less. Making the spread of communication so easy social media sites have made it an urgency for people to share each and every detail of their day at the earliest. It is like a race, a race of letting people know the maximum about you and your life in minimum time period. We are anxious when we don’t receive a comment or a like from the ones we were expecting.
What is this? Where is it taking us?
Certain features of social media tend to hamper your self-esteem. When you compare your number of followers or maybe how many comments you have got, you relate that with your worth. You let the people present in a virtual world decide if you are beautiful or not. It is important to understand that social media applications have transformed human communication to a great level, let us understand how much of it was for good?
Let’s give it a positive angle!
We already talked about the increase in speed of communication that has taken place because of these applications. Messages get delivered with a blink of an eye. Along with that it is possible and quite easy to converse with hundreds and even millions of people together, you hold meetings but now the virtual ones. With just a link you can shop, attend meetings, pay money and what not. With the adoption of this easy methodology one can bring about change, by posting something worth to see and read about. To protest for something that is wrong, one can protest virtually taking a huge group of supporters because these applications make it more convenient for us to carry out our work and fulfil our dreams. Social media is free from any barrier, may it be caste, creed or any race, people here are free to be friends with anyone they want because of the free flow of communication from all around the world, even virtually. Not only this talented people from the rural and remote areas which were untouched or never noticed are now seeking peoples’ attention. Just by making an account and posting their work have gained them love, respect and popularity all together.
Everything has its pros and cons, so now let’s discuss some cons!
Amidst the faster speed, it seems that communication has lost its soul. While the whole purpose was to spread the messages at an increased speed, little did people know that with the advent of social media applications, the credibility and reliability will experience a massive downfall. There are hundreds of articles, news, video that are posted every day on these social media platforms but we fail to know which of them are actually true. We are communicating amongst a huge audience but we fail to interpret the kind of content we are reviewing, whether it is worth or not. The amount of fake news getting spread around is increasing day by day. In this era of technology, we are bound to communicate through the social media applications only. The essence of touch, body gestures and having a real conversation is somewhere getting lost.
There was beauty in language, in talking and gossiping about a lot of things. This idea is vanishing somewhere. We are now held amidst these small talks, one-word replies which have degraded the level of communication. The interactions on social platforms can be sometimes misleading and not specific causing major misunderstandings between people.
Distances might have cut down, but humans are somewhere growing apart. The extensive use of anything is unhealthy. The concept of balance is a practice that should be followed no matter where we are, what we do. Social media if used to an optimum level, keeping in mind all the pros and cons, is sure to benefit us in all respects.
About the Author
Journalism Student from University of Delhi. Passionate for developing creative content.