Digital Media, Social Interactions and Human Connections
How has digital media changed social interactions? Do you believe it has deepened or weakened human connections? Defend your answer.
Introduction
In the premodern era, human communications were mostly through face to face interactions. However, human interactions throughout time have constantly changed and evolved to suit the way we live. In the modern era, human interactions consist of mainly digital media such as the use of mobile phones, social media and networking sites. Our lives have become so heavily involved with media and technology due to their popularization in the last few decades. We are involved with media and technology to the point that almost all types and levels of interactions happen through means of digital media. Although it is believed
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Platform to Socialize and to Express
As mentioned in number 2, digital media provides an online platform for discussions and conversation. A study showed that 1 in 4 people spend time socializing online rather than in person (Reeves, 2015). Digital media acts as an extra venue to allow people to socialize from communicating online to sharing funny pictures with friends. Moreover, digital media is an excellent medium for introverted people to interact.
Digital media levels the field as everyone can be heard regardless if they are introverted or extroverted. In real life, introverted people may have issues in communicating due to social anxiety, awkwardness and fear of being disliked. However, once online, it is difficult to differentiate between an introvert and an extrovert. This is because communicating online is much easier in terms of steering the topic and it is much less energy draining therefore people often talk more on social media (Webster, n.d.). We tend to take longer time to respond online and with the element of time on our side, it is possible to be more expressive so it allows deeper and more meaningful conversation between one