Communication Through Texting and Social Media – Help or Hindrance? (By Chris Hwang)

          As a teenager growing up in a world filled with screen-based technology such as laptops, tablets, and smart phones, I often feel empowered by my ability to quickly access a wealth of information. Such access to the magical world of instant information is always just a simple keystroke or swipe away. I can research information at least six times faster than our previous generations could just twenty years ago and share that information equally as fast. Through the use of the internet, texting, and social media, information can be disseminated and propagated to millions of people across oceanic barriers in a matter of seconds. Further, social media provides us with 24-7 entertainment and an outlet to relay our messages in real time. But are we really better communicators or has the digital world created artificial boundaries by hindering our ability to effectively interact verbally with those around us?

Sure, scientists will continue to debate the controversies surrounding the impact of social media on social and academic development. However, I offer my own non-scientific perspective on a particular skill that is quickly disintegrating; and that is our ability to engage in meaningful conversation. Although the digital highway has made it easier and faster to share information, I feel as though I’m missing out on valuable opportunity to learn and practice critical social skills.

Technology has adversely impacted our ability to engage in simple conversation, which is an essential for life.  In fact, one can even argue that it has made us (the world) anti-social. These technological advances have changed the face of the earth, and sadly, acronyms, abbreviations, and emoji’s have become our new vernacular.

            Over the past several years, texting has become the preferred method of communication for teenagers due to the fact that it is both quick and easy. With the advent of texting, the once eloquent spoken sentence has been replaced by informal, terse texts that offer no true insight into my actual thoughts. Gone are the facial expressions, body language, and subtle vocal reactions that make verbal dialogue so beautiful. Above all, we’re rapidly unlearning how to keep the conversation going. I would venture to say that this is just one of the many flaws and consequences of texting and social media.

          My parents often remind me that when they were teenagers, they’d pick up the phone or hang out at the mall. They didn’t have cell phones and tablets. What they did have is the opportunity to experiment and develop their social interaction skills through lots of real-time face-to-face interaction with their peers. My parents are adept at engaging in long, meaningful, deep discussions with other people. They can take a simple topic and build it into an intimate discussion. They can seamlessly transition from one topic to the next. They can truly feel what each other is saying. Since most of my communication is performed while looking at a screen (and not at a face), I fear that I may be limiting my development of the vital social skills required to succeed in life. In the upcoming weeks, I’d like to take a few days to “disconnect” and log-off iMessage, Snapchat, and Instagram. Only then will I realize the art of “picking up the phone to talk” and/or the beauty of someone “saying it to my face.”