It is argued that technological progress has changed the way we communicate in modern society by making social networks the center of it. Opinions are divided into two main categories: those who see this technological breakthrough as an improvment and those who tend to demonize its usage. This essay will discuss the benefits of this development explaining why online communication is indeed an opportunity rather than a problem and how its negative impact is in fact dued to its misusage.
Using social media to text or interact with people is one of the main positive aspects of modern technological development. In today’s society, billions of social media users interact every day by leaving a comment under a video, by sharing a post with a friend or simply by sharing their daily experience with the world. This actions help creating a network of people who share same interests and even sometimes the same struggles, making them feel less lonely. It is a way to create connections which go beyond the physical world and that are able to reach even those who, for geographical reasons, would not be able to have meaningful connections. For istance, when I went to Kenya I met a very lovely and open minded local girl who lived in a very close minded isolated village. She struggled a lot because of her ideas which often did not match those of her fellow villagers. However, thanks to social media, she was able to connect with other people in a similar situation and she felt less alone improving significantly her social skilss and her mental health.
On the other hand many people believe that communicating online affects in a negative way someone’s ability to create meaningful connections and can lead to isolation or social distancing. However this only occurs if we misuse social networks, thinking that they can actually substitute in person interactions. Lately, in Japan there has been a breakthrough of Hikikomoris. This word is used to describe a person who only live online and has little or no interaction with the outside world. A study conducted in 2021 revelead that these people are indeed already fragile individuals with pre-existed mental health conditions that use social media platforms to escape reality.
In conclusion, some people might be convinced that social media had negativetly affected modern communication leading to more isolation. On the contrary, I believe that it has improved our way of interacting by helping many individuals connect all over the world.