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The era of technological breakthrough, which people witnessed with the advent of the new millennium, has triggered a range of changes in the process of interpersonal communication. With the introduction of information technology, particularly, the Internet and the social networks that it has to offer, there seem to be no boundaries for the process of communication any longer. People all over the world may converse whenever they want and whoever they want with. Such impressive changes have caused not only major improvements, but also considerable challenges.
Despite an amazing range of opportunities, which IT of the 21st century has to offer, the boundaries, which these technologies set for communication process, are much more restricting than people may conceive; therefore, in order to avoid losing their basic communication skills due to the lack of non-verbal elements in online communication and the restricted amount of opportunities for emotional involvement in the course of conversations via social networks chat rooms and other media provided by modern technologies, people need to learn moderation in the use of contemporary technological advances in their conversations.
A closer look at the way, in which IT shapes peoples regular communication process, will reveal that, along with positive effects, there is a consistent deterioration in quality. Turkle (2012a) warns that the excessive use of modern technology as a communication media may result in a loss of major skills essential for successful interpersonal and social communication. More to the point, Turkle (2012b, Apr. 21) argues that the process of gradual loss of crucial capacities for conversation has already commenced: Weve become accustomed to a new way of being alone together.
Technology-enabled, we are able to be with one another, and also elsewhere, connected to wherever we want to be (2012b, Apr. 21, para. 3). People substitute their personalities with fake symbols, which are later on taken for granted in the course of conversations, thus, leading to even greater misconceptions: it can take place on social-networking sites as well, where ones profile becomes an avatar of sorts, a statement not only about who you are but who you want to be (Turkle, 2012a, p. 180).
Online communication admittedly has its benefits when compared to the traditional conversation methods. The absence of the restrictions and responsibilities that a standard real life conversation entails is, perhaps, the most attractive feature of IT devices allowing for the simulation of the former. Indeed, chatting online, especially on a forum, where real people are hidden behind nicknames and where their location cannot be disclosed, allows for defying social norms and crossing the line that marks antisocial behavior (Donath, 2014b, p. 251).
Moreover, it is fast and efficient. Indeed, with the help of virtual communication, it has become possible to keep in touch even with the people that are thousand miles away from where one may live. However, it is the complete safety that fails online communication in its attempt to ensure an unceasing conversation process. As long as people know that they are capable of creating an inseparable bond with their friends, there is no need to make an effort to maintain this bond alive the Internet will presumably take care of it As a result, relying on technology as the means of substituting pure, raw emotions of real life communication, people reduce the process of conversing with each other to its simplified and, therefore, extremely cheap substitute.
Herein another problem regarding online communication and its availability lies. Being under the impression of complete security and consistence of their communication with their friends, the participants of social networks, online chat rooms, and other media tools for perpetuating the concept of communication availability, therefore, devalue the very principle of sharing their feelings, ideas and emotions.
Speaking of which, the issue concerning emotional aspects of communication and the problems regarding the transfer of emotional involvement onto the field of online conversations, should also be touched upon. The phenomenon described above can be explained comparatively easily by reminding of the necessity to include the nonverbal components into communication. While the verbal elements allow the participants of a conversation express their opinions on a certain topic and, therefore, become engaged into information transfer, acquisition and sharing, these are the nonverbal elements that create the premises for emotional involvement with the topic of the discussion and the experience of the participants. Seeing that online conversations reduce the ability of those involved to manifest their emotional responses, one must admit that Internet discussions deprive their participants of a great chunk of communicational experience.
The issue concerning the lack of emotional involvement and the inability of online discussion participants to express their feelings the way that they could in a real life communication process invites the question whether a proper development of emotional intelligence (EI) is possible within the environment of the Internet communication.
Traditionally identified as the ability to navigate in the world of ones motions and acknowledge the latter, as well as analyze them (Cherry, Fletcher & OSullivan, 2013), EI is an essential component of personal development and a crucial part of peoples personal development. Unless one receives enough emotional contact, the development of EI slackens, therefore, causing other developmental issues and questioning the success of ones personal and emotional wellbeing. Consequently, a loss of identity may ensue (Donath, 2014a, p. 228).
While Internet communication and the evolution of social networks as the fastest and the most efficient communication tool can be viewed as a positive phenomenon from certain perspectives and the process of online communication has its moments, the deprivation of personal conversation, which active users of social networks suffer from, makes one question the reasonability of transferring the process of conversation to the virtual realm. Despite the fact that modern technologies in general and Internet in particular can be viewed as outstandingly useful tools for improving the quality of the communication process, one must not deceive oneself with the idea that the former can replace the latter completely.
Deluding oneself and, therefore, getting trapped in the net of virtual communication is dangerous due to the jeopardy that it poses to ones social and personal development and the threat that it creates for ones social skills. Therefore, the emerging technologies must be viewed solely as a supplementary element of communication and in no way as an integral part of the latter. As long as people use the emerging IT elements in their conversation in a rational manner, they will be able to avoid the threat of losing their social skills in an exchange for a dubious pleasure of using a cheap substitute of real life conversations that does not entail the same amount of responsibility that an actual conversation does. Meanwhile, awareness concerning the threats of excessive online communication must be raised.
Reference List
Cherry, G., Fletcher, I. & OSullivan, H. (2013). Exploring the relationships among attachment, emotional intelligence and communication. Medical Education, 47(3), 317325.
Donath, J. (2014a). Constructing identity. The social machine (pp. 223244). Boston, MA: MIT Press.
Donath, J. (2014b). Embodied interaction. The social machine (pp. 245278). Boston, MA: MIT Press.
Turkle, S. (2012a). Alone but together. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Turkle, S. (2012b). The flight from conversation.The New York Times. Web.`
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