Internet & Social Communication

The advent of the Internet has weaved many changes into the fabric of modern society. Of the particularly rising concern is the impact the new mode of online and virtual communication is having on the quality of the social interactions. In my opinion, with a balanced use of the new tool, that is enabling seamless running of the fast-paced modern life, the society can also learn to have effective communication without compromising the quality or the meaning of human interaction. No one can imagine life without Internet these days. It is so in-grained into every details of our life, from simple online browsing to shopping and even communicating over long distances. It has all been made possible in the cyberspace. Distance and time, that had been a huge factor in sending mails or telegrams back in the Industrial Age, has now been negated in the twenty-first century, with the turn of the Information Age. Presently, convenience and communication can be said to be just 'one-click' away. However, the easy and fast-paced lifestyle has also affected our preferences of how we communicate with one another. Instant text messages have replaced letters sent with dedication, voice calls have replaced the talking in-person, and virtual video chats have taken over the face-to-face meetings. Much of our lives are conducted virtually, and the trend for online preference have further skyrocketed with the social networking sites. In spite of the growing concerns of our deteriorating social communications, the problem cannot be rooted to technology- the tool; rather, it is inherently within the users of the tool. In other words, it is our responsibility to maintain the use of technology without it over-writing the meaningful interactions of what makes us human.