How has social media impacted interpersonal communication?

Every person encounters society in one way or another. Kindergarten, school, work, leisure - in every area people interact with each other. Communication occurs at different levels: from banal conversation to gestures and body movements. Probably everyone learned the term “interpersonal relationships” in school; it includes any interaction between people, the purpose of which is clear to all parties involved (at least theoretically).

But humanity is constantly developing, so new languages ​​of communication are inevitably formed. The real phenomenon of human relations is social networks. We didn’t even notice how tightly they entered our lives. Sometimes we don’t think about their benefits and harms, their impact on real life and socialization.

But how much has online virtual communication changed the world? And should we worry about the future? Let's find out!

What are interpersonal relationships

First, let’s remember what the concept of “interpersonal relationships” means. Maybe someone remembered their school days and social studies lessons.

Interpersonal relationships are interactions between a person and other people or groups of people. First of all, such communication includes oral or written speech; Most often we explain our point of view either in words or on a piece of paper.

The concept itself is divided into several characteristics:

• types of relationships;
• groups of feelings;
• forms of relationships.

There are two types of relationships - business and personal, that is, official and informal. When seeking help from law enforcement agencies, we follow formalities and speak with representatives of the law, observing certain ethics. But with friends and family it’s much easier: there are no rules, at least legally.

Feelings are divided into sympathy and antipathy. If a person does not want to communicate, it means that he is showing antipathy towards your personality. Accordingly, healthy relationships are built on sympathy.

Forms of relationships are divided into several categories:

1. Familiar . You can know the person by sight, but not say hello or limit yourself to greeting. Maybe you communicate on general topics, but not for long and only during a chance meeting.
2. Friend and comrade . These are different things: a friend is not yet a friend, but a person who is clearly not indifferent to us; comrade - a person with whom we collaborate, for example, a work colleague.
3. Friendship and love . These are the highest levels of affection: for such people we are ready to do anything.

I’m sure, reading the description of the term, many thought about real relationships between people. Familiar - at least sometimes, but catches your eye; colleague - here he is, spilled coffee on the table again; a friend is always there and ready to support. But in fact, interpersonal relationships have long crossed the line of ordinary communication.

Social networks have taken over the world, and there is nothing surprising here, because with the advent of the Internet, virtual communication was only a matter of time. However, no one could predict the scale.

Disadvantages of Internet communication

I think that communicating online for fun is the wrong form of communication. Yes, sometimes this is the only option (after kilometers), but sometimes I am for real contacts. That's why:

• In real communication, we see all the interlocutor’s reactions “here and now”: the tone and pace of speech, gestures, facial expressions, etc. This reduces the risk of misinterpretation of information or fraud.
• Real communication is live. It is impossible to get rid of the first thought. On the Internet, a person clearly filters what he writes.
• On the Internet we perceive and see what they want to show us. However, in life you can unravel many more secrets of the subconscious. You can store gigabytes of correspondence and not really know anything about the person (which wastes time and effort), or you can get a complete picture of him in just a half hour meeting.
• No matter how much you decorate your online communication with emoticons, it will remain dry and dispassionate. This, as I said, is good for business relationships (although not 100%), but bad for informal relationships.
• As a rule, online speech changes: abbreviations, mistakes, slang. It is gradually absorbed and transferred into real life (one virtual "SPS", which is also spoken by some people in real life, which is worth it). The quality of speech is an important part of personality. The Internet does not develop communication and public speaking skills.
• Illusory perception, imaginary similarity of interests and worldviews, as a result - disappointment and a feeling of lost time. This is especially true for online dating. What do we see when it comes to the printed version of the message? Pictures, pictures, smiles, signs and symbols are the information we want you to share with us.
• Interaction via the Internet leaves only communication as an activity, although in life it is more often an element of other activities (work, study, play), and deeds and actions are valued more than words.
• Accidentally sending an email to the wrong recipient, screenshots, notes and other “difficulties”.
• As long as virtual communication remains virtual, you can create and maintain any image you want. This is what makes some people addicted to the Internet. Retreating from reality into an imaginary world is more of an incorrect behavioral strategy than a solution to the problem. What tricks do people go to, even virtual sex has been invented. How can this process be virtual? Yes, there is no chance of getting pregnant or getting sick, but what is the real problem? Fear of intimacy, insecurity, complexes, failures in life - these are the real problems.
• Communication in virtual space changes consciousness, speech and the way a person interacts with the world. Excessive “greenhouse” conditions are just as harmful to the individual as chronic stress. If a person creates his ideal and comfortable world on the Internet, he will gradually become completely numb in order to adequately respond to external stimuli (and in the real world there are always enough of them). The more frequent the irritation, the stronger the desire to completely get bogged down in virtual communication.

Let's not forget about the possibility of anonymous communication. Unfortunately, this often leads to a feeling of impunity and condescension. While it is sometimes easier to speak anonymously and feel more confident, it can also exaggerate the possibilities.

By the way, the influence of anonymity and its use depends on the individual characteristics of the individual. For example, teenagers with age-related unstable psyche and individual psychological problems (uncertainty, fears) are prone to developing permissiveness and promiscuity on the Internet, which subsequently translates into real life.

What are social networks

Initially, the phrase “social networks” was not associated with the Internet. Sociologist James Barnes described the concept as a structure in which social entities (that is, people or groups of people) are related to each other. Simply put, each member will be connected in some way to all members of the social group. For example, a boss knows his subordinates - on a social network they are listed as “branches” of the boss. The “branch” has its own acquaintances.

This term gained popularity and began to be actively introduced into everyday life. Social networks primarily exist in real life. But we’re not talking about them now: we’re interested in virtual communication, although the principles of both concepts overlap in some ways.

And yet, Internet technologies have greatly changed the concept of a social network. On the one hand, the whole world is accessible and you can meet anyone, but on the other hand, there are no real, living people nearby, because all communication on the Internet is often limited to common interests. More on this after a brief history of networking.

Pros and cons of online communication

15.10.2019

Communication is a natural human need. Virtual communication is a special world in which you can present yourself in any way you like and express your feelings. Communication on dating sites, forums and social networks makes it possible to find like-minded people - in the next building or on the other side of the world. But online communication has both positive and negative sides, and you need to be prepared for them.

“For” online communication

And the ideal me

On social networks, we present our ideal image to the world: photos from the best angles and retouching them using applications, demonstrating our achievements, travel, meetings with friends: “We went to the cinema today ,” “My new look,” “I did it: ran my first marathon in my life”, “I’m bragging: a gift from my beloved

", "I pumped up my abs." No one shows the routine of life and talks about failures. “Ideal Self” helps us to be more confident and relaxed, to easily meet and communicate with new people.

No anxiety

Online communication helps reduce anxiety. We can look whatever we want and at the same time talk with a nice interlocutor in a mode convenient for us. We can take a pause for the answer and think it over carefully: “ Sorry for the long answer)). So this is what I think about this book..."

When communicating in the virtual world, we feel calmer and more confident, which means communication becomes more comfortable and open.

Anonymity and sincerity

A virtual interlocutor learns about us only what we are willing to share, and sometimes quite intimate things. We can, without hesitation, ask for advice, speak out: “You know, my boyfriend and I are going through a difficult period right now. He thinks I'm flirting with his friend."

You will not experience a feeling of shame or embarrassment, because tomorrow, if you want, you can simply not respond to messages from yesterday’s interlocutor. Or maybe a strong friendship will begin with this sincerity.

Big world

Online communication opens up the Big World - our interlocutor can be a person living in another part of the world. There are no restrictions - you can communicate in any language with the help of a translator, learn first-hand about what they read, watch, and enjoy in any country in the world.

Against online communication

Nei perfect other

Pros on the one hand can turn into cons on the other. A virtual interlocutor, like most people, demonstrates only part of his personality on social networks and, of course, the best. He may have an interesting hobby, play sports, be cheerful and sociable, and we complete everything that he is silent about in our heads. When meeting in person, it may turn out that the person is far from our idea of ​​him - short, stooped and not smiling.

Wasting time

Virtual relationships, due to their apparent ideality, can replace real communication with family and real friends. “ He ’s so attentive , he always asks if I’m wearing a scarf, sends me pictures with flowers and a bunch of emoticons

" Know that if most of your life is occupied by online interlocutors, it means that in the real world there is a lack of friends and hobbies, and you are hiding from boring everyday life in a parallel world. And then online communication does not expand opportunities, but robs, replacing real feelings and relationships with the illusion of necessity and importance. If an online relationship does not lead to meetings or personal communication on the phone, then it is most likely a fake, and you should not attach serious importance to it, expect reciprocity and miracles.

Internet - bullying

Anonymity and impunity on the Internet sometimes bring out the darkest sides in people. This is how Internet bullying or Internet bullying appeared - systematic deliberate insults, threats, intimidation, ridicule of the chosen victim. The main reason for online bullying is often a person’s appearance, his “avatar,” personal photographs, videos: “You’re fat,” “Who’s going to look at you, you’re ugly!”, “Are you wearing clothes second-hand?”

Requests to be left alone further provoke the aggression of the attackers; these can be threats of blackmail and extortion of money, up to persecution and threats in real life.

What can be done in the event of an attack?

• Ignore messages.
• Collect evidence in the form of screenshots of the dangerous user’s profile and correspondence with him.
• On social networks, file a complaint against accounts from which they write unpleasant messages in order to block them.
• Ask adults for help: parents, class teacher, school psychologist.

• On VKontakte.ru there is a group “Anti-Cybermobbing” - where you can get advice in real time.

You can always call us on the children's helpline 8 800 2000 122, and together we will build an algorithm of actions - how to protect yourself and stop being hostage to a dangerous situation.

Photo: https://blog.tutor.com/

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History of virtual networks

Initially, the Internet was created for “professional communication,” that is, the rapid transfer of important data, and not images of cute cats and puppies. In 1969, the US Department of Defense designed ARFANET, an internal military network. Of course, it was far from the virtual ideal; It wasn't until 1983 that the technology learned how to route data packets, becoming the first network in the world to use the IP protocol.

Secret developments became less and less secret. The Internet gradually penetrated into the homes of ordinary citizens. Still, the network was used more for commercial purposes, and most users did not understand why they needed “this Internet.” But in 1995, Randy Conrads created the website classmates.com, which helped find classmates, classmates, co-workers or former work colleagues. People got the opportunity to communicate with those they had not seen for many years!

Success was inevitable. That period can generally be considered “golden” for many modern IT giants. In 2004, Facebook appeared, initially aimed at Harvard students. But everyone liked the idea so much that two years later the social network became available to all users in the world over 16 years of age. Today Facebook is one of the most visited sites in the world.

What social networks exist

The Russian analogues of Classmates and Facebook - VKontakte and Odnoklassniki - have also established themselves in the top visited sites among the Russian-speaking audience (Russian is the eighth language in the world by the number of speakers).

Social networks also include progressive branches - photo networks, video hosting and instant messengers. Vivid examples of original combinations are Instagram and TikTok; they contain photographs or short videos that can be appreciated and discussed.

Today there are many websites and applications with communication functions. Even forums that were popular in the “bearded” years also relate to interpersonal virtual communication.

Naked numbers and facts

The statistics are amazing: as of October 2021, 4.14 billion people use social networks worldwide, which is 12.3% higher than the previous year! It was possible to calculate the average duration of the hobby per day - 2 hours 29 minutes, while 40% use social networks for work purposes.

This scope is provided by mobile devices: more than 70% of content on social networks is viewed from smartphone screens. And these are not schoolchildren at all: users from 25 to 34 years old make up almost a third of the entire audience.

YouTube video hosting reaches 2 billion people, of which 80.1 million are Russian users. VKontakte is confidently catching up - 72.9 million people in Russia alone. Our country also loves Instagram – 54 million (top 5 in terms of traffic).

It turns out that more than half of all people on the planet use social networks in one form or another. Above I touched on the problems of mass integration of social networks, but believe me, there are many more of them. Interpersonal relationships on the Internet give rise to many difficulties, contradictions and inadequate methods of communication. The Internet both unites and divides people, helps and harms.

If we cover full statistics, then the number of active Internet users over the past year increased by more than 7%, and specifically in Russia - by 5%. According to research, every year the average time spent on the Internet increases by half an hour: in 2015 it was 6 hours and 20 minutes a day, and in 2021 it is almost 7. Russian users have taken the lead, spending about 8 hours a day online.

What do people do? Most often they are looking for some information, keeping in touch with family and friends. Following the news closes the top three activities (and this is without even mentioning other popular ways to spend time on the Internet). Naturally, constantly spinning in the information field, a person begins to communicate with other network users, that is, he starts interpersonal relationships.

How virtual networks are changing interpersonal relationships

Previously, no one could even imagine meeting a person about whom nothing is known. If someone pretended to be someone they were not, then sooner or later society would find out about it. But on the Internet everything is completely different. Even our friends and acquaintances on social networks present their lives in a different light. When communicating with people in the comments, you may be surprised at the arrogance and impudence of the user, but in reality this may be an insecure person suffering from psychological problems. Of course, this is just an example, but it clearly reflects the modification of virtual interpersonal relationships.

But first, about the obvious advantages of communicating on the Internet:

• Political and social awareness. Television is no longer a monopolist among sources of information. Now you can communicate personally with a resident of another region or an adherent of different beliefs.
• Freedom of speech. Dissatisfaction with government decisions, activist movements and other issues that work in real life work great online. At the same time, politicians themselves also actively express their opinions (for example, Trump was not afraid to write radical tweets, turning everything upside down).
• Economic development. Users can express their opinions about specific products, services and companies. How many times have large corporations had to make concessions because of massive Internet actions!
• Work processes. It is much easier to find specialists online. Communication is simplified, as many issues can be resolved remotely.
• New acquaintances. Sometimes, even among close friends, it is difficult to find someone who matches your hobbies. But there are a huge number of thematic forums, groups on social networks and chats in instant messengers on the Internet. And if you decide to get carried away with something, you can directly communicate with a specialist.
• A useful waste of time. Agree, even from a feed with “memes” you can sometimes pick up useful information. While waiting in line, sitting on public transport or just relaxing, you can explore the world and make new friends.
• It's easier to make contact. Much easier to write, isn't it?

It is important to mention Internet phenomena. A good example is the Gamestop rescue campaign on the Reddit forum; users of the site created a topic in which they called on all concerned to buy shares of the company. Instead of the predicted bankruptcy, Gamestop soared on the stock market, leaving the experienced brokers who were short-sellers out of control. They also help sick people through the network, raise awareness and reveal unobvious problems.

Of course, social networks are a big leap in human development. However, problems arise no less, and sometimes they overshadow all the advantages of virtual communication.

Minuses

• Due to the abundance of entertaining, superficial and often unnecessary garbage information, the time spent on a social network increases significantly. Such pastime can have a negative impact on our health, because... A large amount of information often tires and overloads the nervous system.
• Hormonal levels may also change as a result of Internet addiction. For example, when checking social networks, the hormone oxytocin, which is responsible for the feeling of empathy, is released more strongly.
• The downside is that a person loses the skill of real communication, because... I'm used to online communication. When communicating on social networks, people often do not follow the rules of grammar and punctuation, use a poor vocabulary, emotions are replaced with emoticons - all this negatively affects communication in the real world.
• Intelligence agencies use social networks to organize surveillance. Representatives of intelligence agencies make up approximately 15% of users of public networks.

• Another disadvantage is DEPENDENCE on social networks. In Ukraine, users of social networks are mainly people from 12 to 45 years old. Psychologists pay more attention to teenagers, because the psyche at their age is not stable, and a psychological disease occurs called Internet addiction. This disease affects adolescents' performance in school, as well as their worldview. According to statistics, every week children spend on social networks: from 7 to 14 hours - 23%, 14-21 hours - 57% and more than 21 hours - 20%. Every fifth child spends one out of seven days of the week on a social network. Internet addiction is a psychological disorder that can cause various complexes, for example, an inferiority complex. To prevent a child from acquiring this type of deviation, it is necessary to monitor how often he visits his pages on social networks, as well as his reaction to being banned from using the Internet for some time. If a teenager reacts aggressively, then action must be taken.
• Between the ages of 28 and 45, single people have high hopes for social media. They think that it is easier to meet people through the Internet. According to statistics, every fifth family in the world meets on social networks. But there is also the other side of the coin: many family quarrels happen because of reading the correspondence of your partner with other residents of social networks. Every third divorce is due to social networks. After dating on social networks, the number of betrayals tripled. By communicating with women in the virtual world, men can forget how to care for them. Internet communication also affects the fair sex, because... they lose their femininity and mystery by posting candid photographs and information about their personal lives for everyone to see.

There is no doubt that social networks influence people. The main thing is to approach everything wisely: do not waste your time, because time is the most valuable thing we have. It is necessary to properly use the opportunities provided to us by the Internet.

The conclusion is this: Internet communication should complement life, and not be the basis of all our activities! Social media can bring many benefits. But overusing social media can lead to addiction, loss of attention, wasted time, alienation and dullness. Social networks are both good and bad. It is in our power to take only the good from them and weed out the bad. In order to prevent social networks from causing harm to health and psyche, each person must regulate their time spent in the virtual space.

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Social networks: pros and cons {descr}

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Terrible diseases of the information revolution

Many people have a tendency to run away from responsibility. And this is manifested in the choice of opinion or belief in some facts. Unfortunately, there is less truth on the Internet: most often it is mixed with personal fiction or, even worse, a deliberate distortion of reality. And people believe, especially trust popular personalities. Everyone has faith in goodness, but without critical thinking there is nowhere in this world. A joint study by psychologists from the USA, France, Great Britain and the United Arab Emirates showed that network users trust virtual friends and media figures more, and therefore, without realizing it, they spread false information. How many times have you heard the phrase “we disagree, it was fake”?

The previous point includes a huge number of fraudulent activities that users may not be prepared for. The attacker must be punished, but how can he be identified?

Social networks breed envy. And this is not just a biblical teaching: by posting their best photos, users create the illusion of an ideal life. And others, looking at the beautiful sea breeze or watching dinner in an expensive restaurant, begin to believe that their life is boring and monotonous. The worst thing is that the user may not notice how he develops apathy towards simple joys.

Internet addiction is a proven psychological disease. A constant flow of information becomes a drug: each time a person needs more and more. Therefore, today we are seeing a trend towards short videos (for example TikTok or Youtube Shorts), simple content and an endless feed of photos, news and jokes.

Another form of addiction is satisfying the need to be loved through social networks. A person can become obsessed with the number of likes on a photo and flattering comments. For example, almost all of Instagram is built on narcissism. This is a very serious problem, since the Internet still cannot replace real recognition from friends, family or colleagues. Why does a person have a false sense of satisfaction?

Experts from the University of Georgia found that such a user experiences feelings similar to friendships with people we know closely. Therefore, a person experiences the illusion of constant support and connection with understanding people. Socialization in real society suffers from this, and emotions become more vulnerable; As soon as someone expresses a negative opinion, the person becomes despondent and even depressed.

Children and teenagers who accustom themselves to constant correspondence may experience difficulties in real communication.

Above I touched a little on the topic of trolling. Some may think this is harmless fun, but in reality it is a serious problem, because words can hurt very deeply. And if in real life you can get caught under an article about humiliation of human dignity, then on social networks it is problematic to prosecute a user for offensive words. Children are at risk: having stumbled upon a “troll”, a child can be seriously harmed and receive psychological trauma.

Another problem is cooperation with law enforcement agencies and transfer of data to third parties. Although it is difficult to identify a person on the Internet, the site owners have information about each registered account. And if the authorities are at least trying to catch criminals, then leaking personal data to criminals is a truly terrible practice. Fortunately, many users filter information and think about safety without posting their entire lives on the Internet.

Internet communication as a way of self-expression

Of course, the entire Internet is a field for self-expression. It is used by bloggers and video bloggers, magazine editors, and authors of pages and groups on social networks. These are all forms of online communication. Being able to express yourself is great. The question is how exactly a person decides to express himself, what he wants to convey to people and what he takes for himself. The main thing is that there is no “online loneliness”: when you have a lot of viewers and fans, and there are virtual friends and a lot of comments, but you have no luck in life, and there is no one to ask for help.