In a world where you can communicate instantly through iMessage, Instagram DMs, Snapchat, TikTok, and many other options, communication should be very easy. We are more digitally connected than any other generation, but many people struggle with real communication. As a senior in high school, I have noticed how awkward social interaction has become for many students while trying to find a roommate online. Even though technology has been a way to contact people, it also created new barriers that can make real communication difficult. Cameron Tsai (12) says “I have also noticed that it is really hard to keep conversations alive with people I haven’t grown up with.” The major reason is the people who lost important social skills during the COVID-19 pandemic.
During quarantine, students isolated from classmates, teachers, and friends. School became online and conversations happened through screens. Those were very important years for teenagers to learn how to socialize and build confidence. Many students were communicating through texting and using social media to talk to people while feeling shy or anxious. Now, students hesitate to speak in class, avoid phone calls, and don’t start conversations. Technology may connect us through devices, but emotionally, it creates a distance.
Digital communication encourages people to avoid difficult conversations and conflict. Instead of directly facing the other person and the problem, people use online messages to not have to face those problems. This also brings the problems such as ghosting, leaving someone on read, or ignoring the messages for days after seeing them. This kind of behavior causes confusion and insecurity. While this allows people to hide behind, this also negatively impacts the development of confidence in maturity needed for healthy communication in adulthood. Soraya Patel (12) says that “a lot of people avoid responding to text messages and it seems to have been cool to ignore people.”
To add, texting and online communication can remove many emotional elements of communication. In face-to-face conversations, people rely on the tone or facial expressions, and body language in order to comprehend emotion. These emotional cues disappear and impact a person’s ability to tell how serious or sarcastic conversation is.
Social media also encourages people to prevent versions of themselves instead of being genuine. This changes conversations and communication by making me feel more intimidating. When a person’s impression is that they are talking to someone with a “perfect” life, people feel the need to compare themselves and talk negatively about themselves. Another element is the instantaneous messaging being too quick. This fast-paced communication lacks thought and emotion and can come off as shallow. Because of how easy texting is, people often multitask while texting and don’t have their full attention on their online conversation. Although the modern world is very closely knit, relationships and communication feel a lot less personal and often distant.
