Studies show that almost 6.64 billion humans own some kind of smartphone which accounts for about 84% of the total world population. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the dependence on technology has increased multifold. Forbes- A Business Magazine- has stated that the global consumption of ‘Global Content’ doubled in 2020 with the use of social media being the most prevalent. Nowadays, we can see a trend where even tweens are addicted to their smartphones whiling away their time on social media. On a global scale, there are more than 4.5 billion social media users. From social networking sites like Instagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, and WhatsApp, young adults have a vast variety of apps to be socially active on.
Various sources have stated that people who spend a lot of time on social media are at least two times more likely to feel socially isolated and awkward when in a larger social setting. Excessive social media use cuts down on more authentic social experiences because the more time a person spends online, the less time there is left for real-world interactions. Individuals keep on checking their phones instead of engaging in a conversation and getting to know the people when in a group gathering. The pandemic, being a major contributing factor for the same, has also resulted in a tremendous decrease in face-to-face conversations.
People are known to portray themselves in an entirely different persona online. The online personality of a person that they portray online is quite different from their in-person nature. On one hand, an individual might portray themselves to have extrovert-like characteristics online while on the other hand, they might be quite shy and reserved. There is a decrease in communication skills and thoughtfulness when interacting face-to-face. When humans interact in person, they tend to be more empathetic of what one might be going through and tend to be high on interpersonal intelligence. A study by Virginia Tech University states that “the presence of mobile technologies has the potential to divert individuals from face-to-face exchanges, thereby undermining the character and depth of these connections”. Conversations carried out online lack an emotional or deep connection with a person which is only possible when done face-to-face. When people talk to each other one-on-one, they get to know each other, their experiences, their behavbehavioursiors, their preferences, how they are feeling and their emotions. This in turn also helps the other person to learn, be in touch with their emotions, behave decently, and grow as a person altogether. There is also an exchange of ideas, cultures, societal norms, etc., which play a vital role in the development and advancements in various aspects of society.
Besides, there’s also a big concern that the growing impact of mobile phones is making people more interested in their lives behind the screen, instead of their actual lives. Nowadays, people tend to post almost everything about themselves online, be it what they ate for breakfast to dressing up their pets. Increasing usage of social media and youngsters spending most of their time online, (I am also doing the same while writing this article) are alienating the older generation from society. The elderly are feeling even more isolated and lonely as they do not have a lot of people to talk to. Quality in-person time with family, friends, and relatives has gone down due to the increase in connectivity. Social media is also causing barriers between us and our loved ones. While, there is no denying that social media has connected us to numerous people with different backgrounds, countries, and cultures, it is also a fact that social media is making us less socially active. If we are more mindful and strategic of our vis-à-vis interactions and the ones online, then we can really turn around the impact of social media on our daily lives.
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