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Social Media and Interpersonal Relationships
Introduction
Did you know that 68% of the world owns a smartphone and has 24/7 access to social media? Many people wake up in the morning, lie in bed, and scroll through Facebook before finally rising and starting preparing for work. The described sequence lacks an important element, which is talking to someone. Social media does not foster closer social relationships, making interpersonal communication more difficult instead. Many people are becoming more distracted and addicted to their smartphones. According to Allred and Atkin (2020), distant communication is a double-edged sword that potentially improves a relationship with those behind the screen and threatens its quality as far as co-present people are concerned. Humanitys need for communication is an essential part of life, and social media has changed the way it is fulfilled. Some innovations may be positive, but many people are concerned that the interpersonal aspect is lost, affecting the way relationships work.
Positive Impact
Social medias impact on interpersonal relationships is not a black-and-white issue, as it does improve certain aspects of communication. For instance, nowadays, it is possible to contact representatives of other cultures and family members who live in another city or the countryside. Grandparents who live in remote areas can see their grandchildren or great-grandchildren via such applications as FaceTime on a daily basis. The current pandemic has allowed patients who are not permitted visitors to see their loved ones, as hospitals adopted the exiting Telehealth technology for non-medical needs (Zhou et al., 2020). The educational process was made safer using Zoom and similar platforms, with social media serving as a hub for announcements, although many still argue that they cannot replace a real classroom (Serhan, 2020). As meeting friends and relatives is complicated due to various restrictions, people resort to messengers, both as separate applications and website features, to remain in contact with them (Nguyen et al., 2021). Although the pandemic did not lead to the invention of new communicational methods, they were rendered indispensable for the time being.
Social media can facilitate certain trends and movements, uniting their supporters. For instance, Black Lives Matter benefited much from the hashtag, which was used for educating others, finding fellow supporters, and even identifying those who were against the idea (Ince et al., 2017). Underprivileged people who have something in common, such as the LGBTQ community, can form support groups using social media, which especially important in countries that have laws restricting their rights (Han et al., 2019). One of the recent trends concerns ones negative body image when TikTokers share personal stories of struggle and raise awareness of the issue. It is not uncommon to create a video that addresses what someone else said, either agreeing with them or criticizing their points. In a way, such an approach is also a form of communication, although the other person may not know about the situation. Conversely, if both sides continue the exchange, it does not stray far from a public discussion. Thus, social media can serve as an important place for uniting minorities and highlighting sensitive topics.
Social media is known for facilitating intimacy for student couples who experience difficulties in maintaining face-to-face contact. By exchanging non-intimate information using computer-mediated communication, they can strengthen their relationship and ensure its duration, which is achieved through such means as emoji and status updates (Boyle & OSullivan, 2016). Social media tools contribute to more openness while employing fewer words, which allows couples to remain regularly updated on each others business, avoiding the feelings of distrust and isolation (Boyle & OSullivan, 2016). However, the positive effect is not always preserved because the following conditions should be met: computer-mediated communication supplies face-to-face one instead of replacing it, and both sides are equally engaged (Boyle & OSullivan, 2016). Otherwise, social media can become an instrument of domestic violence, as one partner is likely to exhibit stalker-like tendencies by constantly demanding updates from their significant other (Woodlock, 2016). Generally, if computer-mediated communication is only meant to compensate for insufficient face-to-face contact, it can be rather beneficial.
Negative Impact
Many individuals tend to be distracted by social media while performing routine activities, studying, or working. Instead of communicating with relatives, spouses, co-workers, and others, they scroll through newsfeeds, experiencing the fear of missing out (FOMO) (Abel et al., 2016). It is a form of anxiety that makes peoples lives dependent on constant online updates and has negative effects on interpersonal communication. Being distracted by social media can lead to turmoil in ones intimate relationships and safety hazards while walking or working. For example, during the summer, when almost everyone is outside and does physical activities, people still find themselves scrolling through Facebook instead of bonding with children and making precious memories. Another vivid illustration is when one is too distracted by information displayed on the smartphone screen, they do not notice the traffic lights (Naïmé Mourra et al., 2020). Overall, social media occupies the time that can be spent with loved ones and even threatens a persons wellbeing.
Recently, the body positivity movement has become a major event on such social media platforms as Instagram and TikTok. It has helped women to be more confident about their appearance, and they are not afraid to be overweight anymore. While the movement is great for improving ones mental health, it is still accompanied by negativity. The mentioned platforms are misused by some young adults and teens, who are self-conscious and do not know how to love their bodies, externalizing those feelings by attacking others. Both teenage girls and boys experience body shaming, although the former are more likely to be its victims (94% against 64%) (Stacey, 2017, p. 245). Besides leading to eating disorders and mental issues, cyberbullying creates an environment without empathy, normalizing abusive communication (Stacey, 2017). In the age of social media, parents know even less information about their children and become shocked upon realizing that they are either victims or perpetrators.
Social media can negatively impact the quality of interpersonal communication. Although instant messengers simplify extended family contacts, some may use them to communicate with others in their own physical space (Storch & Juarez-Paz, 2018). It causes people to feel as if they had a meaningful conversation, despite such a method being restrictive (Goodman-Deane et al., 2016). There are many aspects of face-to-face communication that make social media interactions less effective and unsatisfying, such as body language, facial expressions, and proximity (Goodman-Deane et al., 2016). Moreover, social media is changing the ways people connect with others. Intimate relationships are formed using dating applications, which are associated with numerous issues and uncertainty, as cutting ties with a person is made easier than ever (Taquette & Monteiro, 2019). The younger generation may not imagine how to find a partner otherwise, experiencing toxicity as a result (Taquette & Monteiro, 2019). Social media warps the concept of intimacy and ultimately does not satisfy ones need for love,
While using social media, individuals can choose the side of them that they want everyone to see. Sometimes, a person is able to express themselves in a comfortable way, which is common within the LGBTQ community (Han et al., 2019). However, the abuse of anonymity and freedom also occurs and takes particularly vicious forms in taking advantage of others (Sardá et al., 2019). Teenagers can be gullible and trust a stranger, who pretends to be someone else, more than their family members, exposing themselves to numerous dangers associated with such behavior. Meanwhile, parents might be ignorant of everything, not having social media (Stacey, 2017). Their involvement does not guarantee that a child will be less threatened, but a family relationship is an important preventive measure. Unfortunately, as discussed before, social media affect close interactions, so a combined outcome presents a challenging issue.
Social media is associated with alienation in adolescents, who, as previously established, are particularly vulnerable. Assunção et al. (2017) highlight problematic use of Facebook, including addiction, poor quality of interactions, and refusal to communicate with peers. Parental attachment appears to resolve the issue, although it is not a universal preventive measure, showing gender discrepancies (Assunção et al., 2017). Hobson (2017) describes how some feel excluded either because they spend too much time online or due to seeing others happy. On the one hand, people use social media to avoid loneliness; on the other hand, seeing pretty pictures of influencers with supposedly perfect lives leads to the same feeling (Hobson, 2017). Still, completely erasing the environment is unlikely to improve the situation; rather, one should learn how to use the Internet to benefit themselves and avoid potential triggers (Hobson, 2017). The issue is that many users navigate the space unprepared, while it contains many threats to their mental health.
People seem to be aware that relationships are different from what they used to be. According to Christensen, responders are able to identify negative effects of social media, including distraction, irritation, and decreased quality time spent communicating with a significant other in an offline setting (Christensen, 2018). They notice that dates are often interrupted by notifications, discuss something related to online trends, and worry about each others online friends, with whom one may chat more (Christensen, 2018). Eventually, social media-generated concerns serve as a basis for arguments and break-ups, aggravated by the fact that people can see changes in followers or statuses, so a personal quarrel becomes everyones business. Some may easily avoid the pitfalls by setting certain boundaries, but younger individuals, who spend most of their lives in the online environment, will probably struggle with becoming more private (Taquette & Monteiro, 2019). Thus, while awareness exists, not everyone is capable of escaping social media influence.
Many professions, such as healthcare and teaching, actively rely on interpersonal communication, and social media has had negative impacts on them. Patients may complain that the employee was on their phone, not paying attention to them. Being alert and not distracted by social media platforms can be a major safety concern. Many nurses in hospitals already have so-called alarm fatigue, which is associated with desensitization, partially caused by the integration with notifications (Turmell et al., 2017). Such carelessness could result in a patient losing their life (Turmell et al., 2017). Meanwhile, teachers struggle with facilitating socialization while using social media platforms to teach (Serhan, 2020). They may share some knowledge with students, but other aspects of the educational process are subdued, reducing their functions (Serhan, 2020). Overall, social media is permeating communication-sensitive fields and transform them in a not necessarily positive way.
Conclusion
Social media has undeniably impacted the nature of interpersonal relationships, and the result is rather ambiguous, although more negative changes can be identified. While it connects people living miles away and has demonstrated some utility during the ongoing pandemic, almost every positive point is accompanied by a drawback. Extended families may enjoy a better relationship, but people living under the same roof are becoming more distant. Teenagers can join online support groups, but before that, they are likely to experience cyberbullying and other threats, including those pretending to help them. Couples are able to become closer using social media; simultaneously, once they are on a date, their social media addiction will surface and ruin the moment. Moreover, people are aware that the quality of communication has declined, and those working in fields where it is an essential staple are particularly sensitive to the change. Some may be able to tackle the negative effects of social media and enjoy its benefits, but the discussed surveys indicate that the majority actively suffers from the former. Thus, it presents a major threat to interpersonal relationships and should be addressed.
References
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