How Does Social Media Affects Social Communication?

In the articles, “No Need to Call” by Sherry Turkle and “I Had a Nice Time with You Tonight” by Jenna Wortham, both authors discuss how the power of social media has drastically changed our social lives. Both authors agree that social media has influenced the way people interact and how it has vastly influenced social behavior and communication. With the rise of social media, there are concerns that many people are now substituting virtual, online communications for real-life social relationships. Therefore, the argument is whether the lack of personal contact diminishes our opportunities for meaningful relationships as well as weakens our social skills. Does texting have the potential to hamper our social skills and relationships? Perhaps;

Turkle and Wortham clearly have opposing views on the subject. Wortham, strongly disagrees with Turkle on whether social media tools are corrupting our abilities to communicate effectively and establish flourishing relationships. Wortham’s argument is that virtual communication can strengthen relationships, minimize the distance between loved ones, and even increase the desire for face-to-face interactions. According to Wortham, “if anything, the pervasiveness of technology in my life has heightened my desire for actual one-on-one meetings” (Wortham,

The online personality of a person might be different from his/her offline character. People become dependent on the technology and forget how to socialize in face-to-face context which can lead to a life of fantasy, solitude, and isolation. Social media is an ever-advancing part of modern society. However, it often has a negative impact on a generation of people who use their devices: laptops, cell phones and Ipads, to hide from interpersonal identification and communication resulting in the tendency to lose touch with reality. There needs to be a constant reminder that face-to-face interaction must remain a staple in our society because it is of a much higher quality and has the ability to satisfy so many more of our inherent social needs such as a sense of belonging and touch, sharing, cooperating, laughing, and loving. Social skills foster the building blocks of real relationships: trust, empathy and overall connectedness, and bonding. If we use technology to define ourselves, it may easily lead to a life of loneliness, always fearing the exposure of our true