It has long been proven that a person cannot exist outside of society and, living in it, a person must constantly make contact with other people and the main tool for such interactions is communication. Despite the fact that a person immersed in this process from early childhood, learns the necessary norms and rules, gaining experience, still faces problems that interfere with the need for communication. The modern society and any free chat application create such conditions in which people do not have the opportunity to communicate with each other in a habitual manner.
There are many different definitions of communication, for instance: ‘the interaction of people, the content of which is the exchange of information using various means of communication to establish relationships between people’. The following main communication functions are distinguished:
– instrumental (communication acts as a social mechanization of managing and transmitting information necessary to perform a certain action)
– syndicate (communication is a means of bringing people together)
– self-expression (communication acts as a form of mutual understanding)
– translational (transmission specific methods of activity, assessments)
– expressive (mutual understanding of experiences and emotional states)
– social control (regulation of behavior and activities)
– socialization (the formation of interaction skills in society in accordance with accepted norms and rules), etc.
Thus, our whole life is the process of communication with those who surround us – from family members to a stranger on the street. However, not always communicating with others brings us positive emotions, and we enjoy this process. On the contrary, often a person gets into difficult situations with establishing contact with people and tries to find alternative forms of communication. In the modern world, with the advent of the latest technologies (cell phones, computers and other gadgets), communication is increasingly becoming virtual.
How does the modern world affect communication between people?
First, the cognitive value of the process of direct communication between people decreases. We have a huge number of sources of information about the outside world – the media, the Internet and often we know better the details of the life of famous people, but strangers to us, than what worries our loved ones. Instead of talking with those who are close to us, we read, watch, listen to events that have nothing to do with us.
Secondly, modern children, instead of learning the world, listening to elders’ stories, asking them an infinite number of questions, as they did before, now listen to TV and actively use Google in search of answers. That is also how free chat application can easily substitute real-life communication.
Thirdly, the modern world is the variety of social roles that we have to play and most of them require template behavior, which becomes the reason for excessive formality, in relationships there is a lack of spontaneity, sincerity, and soulfulness. Communication becomes formal too.
Lastly, communication on social networks allows us to keep abreast of what is happening with our friends. Virtual communication gives us an invaluable opportunity to stay in touch with those who live far away from us and to easily meet new people and it is also easy to stop any contact, if necessary. You can chat in NEEO Messenger to keep track of your friends and family and stay in touch with them.
Virtual communication also allows you to hide your true emotions and even impersonate someone else, hide behind a mask. You are just an image, just like your interlocutors on the other side of the monitor. Of course, the positive feature is that the Internet helps us to realize all the communication functions mentioned above, which is very important, since communication suffers if at least one of them is broken or missing. In life, we are surrounded by deeds and concerns, and sometimes there is no opportunity and time to meet in person. On the Internet, it is very easy to maintain relationships with many people, as well as to find new friends, because in real life, we often just do not have the courage to do this.
In search of new acquaintances through social media, a person clearly formulates his requirements for friendship, which significantly reduces the time and list of applicants and, of course, the big advantage is that we can easily communicate with a person who is on the other side of the earth thousands of kilometers from us.