Smartphones and social media have had a considerable impact on the way people communicate and develop relationships. First, the nature of communication has been transformed dramatically. Modern people pay little attention to geographic or time boundaries (Lipschultz, 2017). Communication has become immediate as a person can reach another individual within seconds sharing some information. Video calls make communication patterns quite different as people do not need to wait until they meet in person. They can see each other online and leave personal meetings aside.
Some people argue that social media and smartphones are destroying interpersonal relationships and communication. They stress that people spend less time interacting face to face and prefer sharing information, including pictures, short text messages, and videos, in the digital world. However, recent studies show that social media and the use of smartphones can actually have a positive influence on people’s lives and the quality of their relationships with others. For instance, Kim et al. (2016) found that social media and smartphone use improved college students’ wellbeing by contributing to the satisfaction of their need for belonging. Students’ engagement in social activities was also enhanced due to the utilization of digital means of communication. The digital world is a facilitator of people’s communication in real-life settings. People expand their social links and create networks that are instrumental in developing different types of relationships (Lipschultz, 2017). The development of relationships also becomes more convenient and easier as people who find it difficult to address people in real life can form online social links more easily. At the same time, it is important to note that these transformations may have both positive and negative effects on each person’s life.
References
Kim, Y., Wang, Y., & Oh, J. (2016). Digital media use and social engagement: How social media and smartphone use influence social activities of college students. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, And Social Networking, 19(4), 264-269. Web.
Lipschultz, J. H. (2017). Social media communication: Concepts, practices, data, law and ethics (2nd ed.). Taylor & Francis.