Abstract
With the appearance of digital devices and the Internet, face-to-face communication gradually moved to the virtual space. The question is – has it remain the way it used to be or has it transformed changing the people who practice it and whole societies? Over the last few years, virtual communication has penetrated our lives and now is taken for granted. With the help of research, it is possible to investigate which social tendencies resulted from the emergence of digital communication and what effect they produced on social life and communication.
Introduction
The modern society can be characterized by the heavy use of digital technologies that have now penetrated all of the spheres of our life. Namely, they have successfully changed such fields as education, healthcare, finance, security, and trades. The reliance on technologies is growing and producing a massive effect on the sphere of communication. Therefore, this paper proposes exploring the following research question: in what ways do digital technologies impact the nature of interpersonal communication, relationships between people, self-image, social manners, and family dynamics?
Review of Literature
The internet offers a large selection of versatile materials concerning the subject of the effect the technologies and virtual communication produce on modern society. For example, Emily Snow (2007) offers research on the impact of online communication on intimacy, and the article by Martha Perry (2010) provides a detailed comparison of face-to-face interactions and computer-mediated one in romantic couples.
These studies are trustworthy scholarly sources that could be made the core of the research. Besides, to add to the list of credible sources, there is a number of books exploring various aspects of the subject matter. For instance, “Social media: Usage and impact” by Al-Deen and Hendricks (2012) is a collection of versatile researches and observations including the analysis of Facebook posts’, trending content, search for the attention of masses, and persuasion. Another interesting source is “Twitter: Social communication in Twitter age” by Dhiraj Murthy (2013) focuses on the phenomenon of Twitter and the dynamics it works.
Finally, the book by Sulaiman and Naqshbandi (2014) titled “Social Media: Dynamism, Issues, and Challenges” explores versatile aspects of social communication; its chapter about impression management and followers is especially interesting. With this base of sources, it is possible to uncover some new facts about social media and virtual communication that modern society is unaware of. In addition to all the studies and books, it would make sense to review websites that could provide exciting and fresh information and enrich the paper.
Research Methods
The research will be conducted in the form of a review of the literature sampled online by means of using search engines such as Google Search, Google Books, and Google Scholar. The sources will be selected based on their suitability and the use of keywords such as “face-to-face versus virtual communication” and “impact of social media on personal interactions”. Reliable and credible sources will be used for the paper. The information located in the sources will be grouped into subjects for easier presentation.
Potential Obstacles
One of the obstacles to the research may be the unavailability of the relevant sources. However, their large quantity will make up for some sources that may be difficult to access. Insufficiency of information may occur not only due to a small body of literature but also due to biases in it. That is why the plan is to search for various perspectives and works by the authors exercising different points of view and sets of values. This approach is likely to contribute to the diversity of the research paper.
Conclusion
To sum up, social media, digital technologies, and virtual communication are relevant subjects in modern society. In fact, they attract a lot of attention, and that is why the effect of the heavy use of technologies for communication on society needs to be studied.
References
Al-Deen, H. & Hendricks, J. (2012). Social media: Usage and impact. Lanham, MD: Lexington Books.
Murthy, D. (2013). Twitter: Social Communication in the Twitter Age. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley & Sons.
Perry, M. (2010). Face to face versus computer-mediated communication: Couples satisfaction and experience across conditions. University of Kentucky Master’s Theses. Paper 66.
Snow, E. (2007). Intimacy and Face-to-Face versus Computer Interaction. Undergraduate Review, 3, 37-50.
Sulaiman, A., & Naqshbandi, M. (2014). Social media: Dynamism, Issues, and Challenges. Singapore Island, Singapore: Partridge Publishing Singapore.