Introduction
The development of information technology has shaped various aspects of human life. The way people communicate is one of the spheres that have undergone considerable changes, which led to certain transformations in their relationships as well. The world has become void of any limits, be it geographic borders or time restrictions. The digital world opens up various opportunities for people to communicate and build social ties (Burch, 2020). Communication has become easier and more complicated at the same time. The Internet has blended interpersonal and mass communication making the line between public and private less pronounced (Neubaum & Krämer, 2017). Personal relationships are also highly affected by the digital sphere. Social media have become an indispensable part of the life of millions and a potent instrument of influence on people’s behavior. For instance, 72% of Americans are social media users, and this figure is steadily increasing (Burch, 2020). Although negative effects of social media are apparent, these platforms are beneficial for the development of relationships due to the opportunity to reach more people, co-create discourses, and communicate openly.
Causes of the Use of Social Media in Terms of Communication and Relationships
One of the major causes of the considerable influence of social media on people’s communication and relationships is the opportunities the digital space grants. Convenience is one of the benefits of social media, as people may reach one another within seconds. It is easy and convenient for social media users to locate diverse individuals and communities that can be interesting or important. Researchers considering the role of social media tend to pay attention to Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Kapoor et al., 2018). Such aspects as belongingness and relatedness are closely related to the use of social media. Baccarella et al. (2018) note that social media is instrumental in satisfying people’s needs in such domains as communication, presence, sharing, identity construction, and relationship building. Remaining in contact with a specific circle of individuals is only one of the options users enjoy. People join digital groups and communities to feel related and identify themselves with someone they find important.
Building social ties online is an important feature many people find relevant. They use these ties to find new professional opportunities, create families, and locate people with similar views. Such professional social media as LinkedIn help people benefit from networking and land the job they want (Baccarella et al., 2018). These social media can be instrumental in addressing the need of self-actualization and achievement, which makes many people become a member of such professional communities. In addition to specific professional social media that have comparatively narrow target groups (business people, as in the case with LinkedIn), other platforms are also utilized to network for specific purposes. Facebook users create communities that are particularly important for specific groups based on their interests; for instance, these can be alumni of educational establishments that remain in contact (Baccarella et al., 2018). Making friends online is a common trend globally, and these relationships often extend the boundaries of online communication.
Contributing to or creating discourses is another valuable feature for many users (Baccarella et al., 2018). People may “Like” some post or provide a lengthy commentary to give their feedback regarding diverse issues. At that, users may feel safe and confident to participate in different types of communication due to the confidentiality social media may grant. Every user can add to the discussion by commenting on another person’s comment. Thus, a discussion of a picture from a different country can end up a wide discussion of the environmental issues of the region or the entire planet. Such discussions often evolve into a far-reaching debate that transforms (or aims at transforming) public opinion and introduces certain changes in society (Kapoor et al., 2018). It is noteworthy that discussions of global topics (related to the environment, political aspects, economic issues) often lead to dialogues going around personal problems. Every user can co-create the agenda for a particular conversation or a larger discourse, which is one of the most valued features of social media.
It is necessary to note that people use social media to develop romantic and other types of relationships as they can easily locate like-minded people and contact them. Approximately 30% of Americans (of different ages and backgrounds) reported having dated online. At that, almost 50% of young adults (people aged between 18 and 29) reported having dated online (Burch, 2020). Again, many people feel safer when starting digital relationships. When users feel secured and satisfied with the nature of relationships, they are transformed into offline social links.
One of the reasons for the popularity of social media is this feature, which is specifically valuable for some groups. For instance, the LGBT community benefits from using diverse social networks. It has been found that over 50% of the LGBT community have dated online (Burch, 2020). People resort to social media due to social anxiety, the feeling of insecurity, and other issues. Personality traits have a considerable influence on the use of social media. People with higher openness and low emotional stability find social media a safer platform for the development of relationships. Thus, it is possible to state that online relationships become the first phase of social links for some groups.
Effects of the Use of Social Media
The benefits and convenience mentioned above have made social media an important part of people’s lives, and the influence of these platforms is likely to increase, at least, in such areas as communication and relationships. One of the most dramatic effects of social media on communication is associated with the “one-to-many” feature (Orchard, 2019, p. 5). It has been acknowledged that people interact with each other and co-create content (Baccarella et al., 2018). They comment on each other’s posts and comments or invite others to provide their feedback.
Communication occurs among a large number of people simultaneously instead of being confined to an interaction between two people or a small group of individuals. Communicators are no longer satisfied with receiving an opportunity to address someone and express their views. Social media users are willing to react to multiple comments other persons make. Individuals expect to receive feedback from a large pool of people. Therefore, more people can be reached, and users can develop more social links that could evolve into strong relationships.
As mentioned above, social media may facilitate the development of different types of relationships. Romantic relationships have received considerable attention among researchers (Kapoor et al., 2018). Social media have become platforms for locating potential partners in romantic relationships. Although specific social media (such as Tinder) have been developed for people looking for romantic partners, users often develop romantic relationships with the help of diverse platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Social media users often prefer reviewing some people’s online links and profiles instead of meeting people offline. Social media are seen as effective tools to make romantic relationships stronger (Arikewuyo et al., 2020). Partners may resort to instant messaging, chatting, sharing content (photo and video), video chats, and so on. Social media are instrumental in satisfying the need for communication, which facilitates the evolvement of a romantic relationship into a strong and lasting connection. Being a part of some online groups can also facilitate the development of relationships based on similar interests. Communication is one of the needs partners concentrate on when developing relationships, so social media are instrumental in facilitating the development of strong relationships based on effective communication.
Another effect of social media on communication is associated with freedom and openness. Confidentiality and invented (or shaped) identities allow users to share ideas in a more open manner (Neubaum & Krämer, 2017). This openness enables to address serious issues, and people manage to develop solutions during one-to-many communication. People can now discuss more effectively sensitive topics and come up with solutions that become a part of their offline lives.
Online and offline communication are continuously blending as people discuss online topics that are relevant in their real-world lives. At the same time, individuals use discourses that appear online to facilitate offline communication. People may offer diverse topics for deep discussion or small talk based on the information they accessed through social media. Individuals may show their relatedness to a subgroup by showing their knowledge regarding some topics. For instance, Orchard (2019) illustrates this point by an ordinary situation when colleagues may discuss a YouTube video or somebody’s tweet during lunchtime. People may become a part of a group in their professional or private life due to their use of social media. Thus, offline communication is shaped by online discourses in many ways. It can help in building common grounds when developing relationships.
At the same time, social media may have a negative influence on the development of romantic relationships. For instance, social media can facilitate infidelity, romantic partner monitoring, jealousy, and distraction (Arikewuyo et al., 2020). It is noteworthy that quite a low rate of married social media users report infidelity-related behaviors online (McDaniel et al., 2017). Jealousy and partner monitoring are common behaviors that contribute to conflicts and have adverse effects on relationships (Arikewuyo et al., 2020). People review their partners’ posts, preferences, reactions, and links on social media. Based on this monitoring, diverse conflicts arise, and some of them can lead to the termination of the relationships (Arikewuyo et al., 2020). Having an ex-girlfriend among Facebook friends or making a comment on a picture or post can become a cause of a serious argument. Again, the way social networks influence romantic relationships is often mediated by partners’ personality traits.
Another type of impact is associated with the review of other relationships and people’s self-esteem. Partners may compare their relationships with those they see online when reviewing other people’s accounts and posts (Burch, 2020). Some users may find their relationships insufficiently satisfying compared to other people’s connections. Other couples’ posts, photos, and videos can destroy weak or even strong relationships under certain conditions. It is noteworthy that people’s psychological traits define the way users respond to others’ posts.
Other types of relationships are also prone to certain transformations. People are willing to maintain their ties by updating their status and reviewing their statuses (Orchard, 2019). People’s sense of belongingness is satisfied through the development of the relationship with likeminded people and participation in different groups and communities. The quality of offline relationships is affected as social media users find online updates satisfying, and no need for closer communication (calling or meeting in person) seems necessary.
It is also important to add that social media use can lead to the development of addition that has a substantial effect on real-world relationships. Social media users become addicted to their online profiles and ties, and they start paying less attention to the existing social links, which has a negative impact on the development of relationships (Arikewuyo et al., 2020). Such people often receive professional help and manage to address their psychological issues, becoming more focused on their real-life connections and improve their real-life networks.
Conclusion
To sum up, the convenience and comfort social media offer made these platforms an indispensable part of their lives. Social media have had a significant effect on the way people communicate and develop different types of relationships. Communication has become more open and one-to-many in nature. Social media users are able to reach more people, which helps them satisfy their needs of belongingness and connectedness. As for romantic relationships, they can be improved or destroyed depending on partners’ psychological traits and their mood. Hence, social media have penetrated people’s lives and remain a potent factor shaping the way they communicate and build relationships.
References
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Orchard, L. J. (2019). Uses and gratifications of social media: Who uses it and why? In A. Attrill-Smith et al (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Cyberpsychology (pp. 329-348). Oxford University Press.