Brandon Sohn

UWRT

Mitchell

10/30/17

How Social Media Is Affecting Communication

According to the Oxford English dictionary, social media is defined as forms of

electronic communication (such as websites for social networking and microblogging) through

which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other

content (pictures, videos, etc). There have been many forms of social media throughout recent

decades, but thanks to the popularity of the smartphone, advancements in technology, and easier

accessibility to internet, social media is booming now more than ever before. Some people use it

to keep up with family and friends, others to follow their favorite celebrities, and others use it as

their own canvas where they can express their feelings, thoughts, and ideas. According to

Statistic Brain, there are over one billion people registered Facebook users and hundreds of
millions of others use sites like Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc. What was once an exciting yet

seemingly impossible idea to expand ways of communication through the internet has now

become the mainstream. The exploding popularity of social media has made us more

connected more than ever. According to USA Today author Sarah Zay, With the rise of websites

such as Facebook, social networking may be on the verge of replacing traditional personal

interactions for the next generation (USA Today). Whether its just to browse photos, follow

news updates or communicate with people from afar, checking social media has become a daily

routine for many people. Social medias explosion has caused people to question its possible

benefits and look into its possible negative effects on a variety of subjects pertaining to social

aspects, human behavior, brain function, etc. Many people have looked into how social media is

affecting human communication, and researchers have been able to back up claims of both

positive and negative effects with factual statistics and research which will be uncovered

throughout this essay. While some question the effect of texting, social media and texting are

two different forms of online communication. Texting is defined as typically a private

communication between one person or a small group of people. Social Media is communication

on a platform where the public can easily access, such as Twitter or Facebook (WikiAnswers).

Both texting and social media are technological devices that help connect people. Texting

is domestic and if used between people in separate countries, it may be expensive or impossible.

Social Media, however, can bring people together from all over the globe. It can be used to

connect friends and family that live far from home, and can create long-distance friendships that

otherwise would have never been uncovered. However, if used improperly, studies show that its

negative effects on communication may outweigh the positives. Many are wondering if it is

becoming a surrogate for actual communication. Recent studies done by various research sites

such as Attentiv and Social Work Today are finding that the growing addiction to social

media is causing people, specifically teens and young adults, to communicate less face-to-face.

There is a growing concern that when we connect through our devices, it is disconnecting us

from the world around us. Some argue that it is harming our communication skills and causing

more professional settings such as business meetings, etc. to be done digitally through

messaging. According to Forbes, Generation Y and Millennials would prefer to use instant
messaging or other social media than stop by [...] and talk with someone (Tardanico 2012). This

is believable and visible when teenagers are looking down at their phone during a break in their

day rather than socializing. A study done by the Washington Post finds that 32% of people

would prefer to communicate through text rather than over the phone, 51% of teens would rather

communicate digitally than in-person, and one in four people socialize more online than

face-to-face (qtd in Attentiv). While we are communicating more, we may not necessarily be

building relationships as strongly, says Paul Booth, professor at the University of Chicago

(Social Work Today 2013). It is a fact that we are communicating more than ever due to easier

access to internet and smartphones. Due to this, as Daniel Russell, writer for Attentiv puts it;

We just dont speak anymore. But were talking more than ever (Attentiv 2015). While this

may seem unproblematic, researchers are concerned that this may negatively impact the ability

for one to have effective face-to-face conversations, specifically in the workplace. Writes

Monmouth College Psychology professor Matt Smith, 93% of all communication is nonverbal

(The Nonverbal Group), meaning its displayed through body language and tone of voice. The
body language that is so vital in real-world communication is absent in digital messaging and can

have an impact on face-to-face conversations the more time one spends using social media.

Despite these valid concerns about the negative effects social media has on

communication, social media is not entirely as evil as it may seem. Due to instant messaging and

easier internet access, people are able to connect with friends and family wherever they want

whenever they want. There is no need to go to restaurants or bars to catch up with people; we

now have the ability to do it from our own home. Additionally, if someone does want to catch up

with his or her friends, instant messaging is just as easy and efficient as making plans with

people as calling. Furthermore, social media also makes it easier for businesses to have

long-distance meetings with people in different states or countries. People can even make new

friendships with people from around the world, those who they may never have spoken to if not

for social media. Some even choose to online date. In fact, online dating is almost a $2 Billion

industry and 50% of Americans have joined an online dating site. However, one-third of online

dating relationships do not end up meeting each other in real life and 5% of married people in the

US said that they met through online dating (Statistic Brain). This shows that there are still
some flaws in online relationships but it can still lead to long-lasting real relationships.

According to Teen Ink Magazine, 59% of people say that online communication is a good way

to meet people (Teen Ink Magazine). The hope for face-to-face communication is not

completely lost either. According to author Daniel Russel, the importance of face-to-face contact

is still recognized in that 80% of millennials still think that speaking face-to-face is the most

important form of communication in the workplace (Attentiv). While it is easy to focus on the

negatives, there are some positives that come out of communicating on social media. If used in

moderation, social media can be enjoyable and beneficial to ones social life.

There are many who argue that social media has taken over our daily lives and affects us

psychologically, socially, as well as how productive we are in an actual day. The argument can

also be made that it is the goal of these big businesses in charge to do just that. These sites have

become major corporations thanks to Facebook founder and Instagram co-founder Mark

Zuckerberg, who is now worth nearly $50 billion and is listed as the sixth richest person in the

world (Forbes). Zuckerbergs idea has led to social media becoming a money-making business

that continues to expand. These companies try to test the limits of their money and power by
attempting to become an institution-like corporation. The Institutional Theory, as defined by

Richard Scott in The Encyclopedia of Social Theory, is a theory on the deeper and more

resilient aspects of social structure. It considers the processes by which structures, including

schemes, rules, norms, and routines, become established as authoritative guidelines for social

behavior (Scott 2004). A main example of institutions is the government because they enforce

rules and regulations that over time become the norm in society and is not questioned. Greed can

cause the government and major businesses to enforce institutionalization in order to gain or

maintain control over a people, to continue to make money, and to stay in power. In the case of

social media, its successful efforts to expand has made it inescapable in society. A 2015 study by

Pew Research found that over 76% of people check their social media accounts at least once a

day, and 62% of people get their news from social media (Duggan 2015). Its memes spread

throughout the world and become a part of pop culture. Businesses have used social media to

coordinate meetings or to get in touch with employees. Look around a room full of teenagers,

and over half will be locked into their phones, checking their accounts. Tweets from people such

as Donald Trump make headline news and are criticized, praised, or ridiculed by media members
and other people world-wide, sometimes for days. Trump himself even gave credit to social

media being a major factor in why he became President in a 2017 interview with the Fox

Business Network saying; I doubt I would be here if werent for social media, to be honest with

you (Social Media Insider). He also admitted his controversial usage of Twitter is to keep

people interested [...]. You know, you have to keep people interested (Social Media Insider). In

order to keep people interested as Trump said, Zuckerberg and his partners have continued to

improve and advance social media. Improving social sites is vital for Zuckerberg and other social

media partners so that they can accomplish their goal of making profits and capturing the

attention of their users. The more that people are captivated by social media, the more that it

becomes a normal part of people's daily lives. The popularity of social media has affected

communication among other things, both negatively and positively, and surely does not show

any sign of slowing down.

 Works Cited

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www.teenink.com/nonfiction/academic/article/485925/The-Effects-of-Social-Networking-upon-

Society/.

Blake. How Much of Communication Is Really Nonverbal? Body Language Classes,

Research, and Consulting | Nonverbal Group | NYC, The Nonverbal Group,

www.nonverbalgroup.com/2011/08/how-much-of-communication-is-really-nonverbal

Brain, Statistic. Facebook Company Statistics. Statistic Brain, 11 May 2017,

www.statisticbrain.com/facebook-statistics/.

Company, Inc. Great Valley Publishing. Social Media and Interpersonal

Communication. Social Media and Interpersonal Communication, 2013,

www.socialworktoday.com/archive/051313p10.shtml
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Report. TechCrunch, TechCrunch, 26 May 2016,

www.techcrunch.com/2016/05/26/most-people-get-their-news-from-social-media-says-report/.

Duggan, Maeve, et al. Frequency of Social Media Use. Pew Research Center: Internet,

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www.pewinternet.org/2015/01/09/frequency-of-social-media-use-2/.

Fowlkes, Jasmine. Viewpoint: Why Social Media Is Destroying Our Social Skills. USA

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Rogerson, Karis. Viewpoint: Social Media Is Helping Our Social Skills. USA Today,

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We Just Don't Speak Anymore. But We're Talking More than Ever. Attentiv, 31 Aug.
2015, www.attentiv.com/we-dont-speak