Social Media Has Its Purpose
The past few years have brought a variety of innovative ways for everyone to communicate with each other. New social media is emerging as a huge industry; and the industry is thriving. The internet is changing most Americans’ social aspects of life. Sites like Twitter and Facebook redefine what it means to be “in touch” with someone. Typically when something new breaks through there will be lots of skepticism before it is widely accepted. Social media and electronic communication are definitely under fire at the moment. Many say that the new forms of communication are too impersonal and that there is much room for misinterpretation because text has no tone of voice. While I can agree with this I think there are still too many good qualities about electronic communication, given the correct context and understanding of when it is appropriate, for it to be cast aside completely.Text messaging is probably the most scrutinized form of communication. Many people easily become too involved with text messaging and it can do more harm to their social life than good if not used properly. I use text messaging sparingly when I need to talk with someone and can not be on a phone. It is a great way to easily connect with someone to ask about a quick detail or to achieve something that is not necessary for an entire phone call. I also enjoy the ability to send out one message to a few people at once. My group of friends get together every week for wing night at Culpepper’s and I get one of these mass texts each week as a reminder of the time and place we are meeting up. If I call someone and they are not available I will sometimes send them a text instead of leaving a voice message to open communication with them, as long as the conversation is not urgent.
Important conversation and messages that need to be responded to in a timely basis is not the place for text messaging. People often get annoyed when someone is not responding to a text message within twenty minutes yet they refuse to dial the number to call them. If you expect an urgent response, you should call, not text. Serious conversation should also not be over text messaging. There is no tone of voice in text and if the conversation is balancing on the edge of an argument the conversation should be moved to a phone call.
The impersonal aspects of electronic communication can actually be useful in some cases. Not everyone is as open an social as they would like to be and it is awkward for some people to make new friends. Some friendships can begin over electronic and text based communication before they move into areas of personal connection. I have met a few people at school that I have started talking to through Facebook or text messaging and it becomes much easier to open up to someone new. It becomes convenient that I can talk to new people through text and be able to hide any bad first impressions I may give off. Eventually I will get to know someone enough to know when I am ready to move the communication on to something like a phone call. It is important for those on the receiving end of this situation to be aware when meeting new people. We have all heard horror stories of people meeting online and then finding out who they were actually talking to once they decide to meet in person.
Social networking sites like Facebook can be a great place to keep in touch with your friends. It can also help you connect with people that you’ve lost touch with. I’ve found old friends from grade school, sports teams, and old neighbors that I haven’t talked to in years and was excited to be able to reconnect with them. Facebook has a few features that can also be great to connect with people as long as certain requirements are in place for it to be effective. The biggest problem with connecting on Facebook is trying to communicate with someone who does not visit the site very often. This is when communication with that person should be moved to another form. I do not have many problems with this because my close group of friends check the site every day or so. Since everyone is able to be contacted in a timely manner through Facebook, my friends utilize features such as the events page to plan get togethers. Whenever one of my friends has a birthday party coming up, the host will usually start an event page with information on the time and location of the party. They are then able to invite everyone to the party through Facebook and the event page will keep track of who plans on going, who can not make it, and who still is not sure. While this tool is useful and quick, it is still important to consider a personal connection with the host to touch base with them on the specifics of the party when the date is approaching.
The Facebook status updates, which are essentially the same thing as an update on Twitter, are very useful for keeping in touch with people. Everyone gives quick updates on what is going on in their lives and it is most likely you will hear about the major events in someone’s life by occasionally reading their status updates. When I was in a car accident a month ago I updated my Twitter and Facebook and my friends and family were all instantly aware of what was going on. All of my friends work a lot during the week and I only get to see them about once a month. It is even difficult to get a hold of them by phone and sometimes even by text so Facebook is essential for me if I want to know what is going on with them.
Since I am not able to see my friends very often social media and textual communication are a huge part of my life. I have met many people through online communities and through YouTube and I talk to my group of online friends every day. In many ways I have become closer to my online friends than my regular group of friends. “Real” friends are limited to those that live around you while online friends can be from anywhere in the world so you are able to pick and choose your friends based on their compatibility with your personal tastes. I have gotten to know these people very well though Twitter and Facebook and through the instant message program Skype. I would not call my relationship with my online friends impersonal by any means because we all know each other so well and are able to communicate ourselves to each other easily. Skype has a voice chat feature that allows a conference call where all my online friends can speak to the group at once. I also know them on a personal level because most of them make videos on YouTube so you can see how they act in a regular setting and they become more than just text and a user name.
My younger brother has an Xbox 360 and a subscription to Xbox Live which connects his game system to the internet so he can play online with people all over the world. The Xbox comes with a headset that connects to a port in the controllers so that you can talk to the people you’re playing with. There are options to become friends with people on Xbox live with either people you already know or even new people you’ve met online. Most of my brother’s friends have an Xbox and connect with him through this online system. Because of this my brother gets to talk to his friends every day. Many of his friends have moved away since he went to grade school with them so it is an important piece of technology to utilize so that he can stay connected with his far away friends.
Who knows where technology will bring communication in the years to come. I predict that electronic communication will be refined and more widely accepted in the future as the next generations will be brought up with more technology in their lives. People are generally afraid of change, so when new and innovative technology is released, it is not always seen as completely functional or necessary. There have already been uprisings in technology within the past few years to make electronic communication more accessible and practical. Voice chat is popping up in places where there was only text based chat and the ideas of video chat are also growing. Sites like YouTube have made great strides in expressing yourself to the world through video- this is just the beginning.
There can be many setbacks with each form of electronic communication; these need to be acknowledged in order for the various methods to become completely effective. Electronic media is very useful but only when used under the correct circumstances. It will be exciting to see what electronic communication will evolve into once its purpose is understood. The limits and restrictions depending on each form of electronic communication should be realized so that everyone appropriately chooses the right method for their needs at the time. In many ways electronic communication is being abused and the future will hopefully bring a better understanding of when it is appropriate to use electronic media and when communication should be brought up to a more personal level.
