Social media has emerged as a powerful communication tool among people, rendering physical interactions rather obsolete. While this trend seems favorable, I would argue that the downsides of this development far outweigh the upsides as far as the value of communication is concerned.
On the one hand, there are a number of advantages to using social media platforms as the primary source of communication these days. An important one could be the speed at which interactions take place between people. People in the past – prior to the advent of modern technologies – used to cover long distances to get in contact with one another, placing extra burden on their budget and time spent on transportation. Such setbacks have been greatly eliminated with the presence and widespread use of social media networking sites, such as Instagram or Telegram. Another merit, with which, in my opinion, online media platforms are superior to face-to-face communication may be their better accessibility. Take an example of people connected to each other the world over despite geographical disparities. If they feel the need to socialize with their beloved ones, for example, their parents, they can have instant access to social media applications where it is feasible to interact with a person based in the other corner of the world. This facility brought about by online platforms has made much of our social closeness a lot more desirable.
These arguments notwithstanding, it is not fair to neglect the significant drawbacks that social media can begat, especially to our social connections. Perhaps, the most worrying disadvantage may be deep isolation from the outside world and real-life communication as an increasing number of people are becoming an active user of social media apps to keep in touch with others rather than relying on physical interactions. They seem to be spending an obscene amount of their time staring at the flat screen of gadgets, deterring themselves from having face-to-face communication initiated outdoors such as in public parks or cafes. Secondly, albeit no less significantly, the loss of physical social interactions is accompanied by disconnectedness from family members and friends, whose presence is more treasured in the real world, not in virtual reality. Individuals may feel a distance in between as a result, hence having to experience mutual misunderstandings due to weakened closer bonds – a by-product of excessive reliance on social media to communicate.
In conclusion, while I acknowledge the values that social media platforms can bring to people in terms of the efficiency and pace of interactions, I still believe that these advantages are eclipsed by the possible disadvantages associated.