Is it time to rethink whether social media is a real connection or just a convenient illusion of the digital age?

In the modern world, social media allows us to communicate anytime, anywhere, but is it really a connection? Digital communication diminishes the importance of physical encounters and conversations, and it forces us to rethink what it means to truly connect.

 

In the past, the process of meeting a person in a specific place was based on a pre-arranged meeting place and time. Going to the place at the appointed time and waiting in anticipation of meeting the other person were all part of the process. However, this process was often accompanied by anxiety when the other person was late, and the various imaginings that followed. “What if something happened?” or ”Did they go to the wrong place?”
In the modern world, with the advent of technology, people can easily communicate with each other from anywhere thanks to smart devices. For example, you can make an appointment and continue the conversation in real time on the bus or subway on your way to meet your date. No longer do we have to guess where the other person is, we can easily find out where they are now and why they are late if they didn’t arrive on time. This is thanks to social networks.
SNS stands for Social Networking Service, a service that allows people to communicate indirectly with each other through data communication. If you look inside your smartphone, you will find one or more SNS such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or KakaoTalk. SNSs have the advantage of being able to connect with many people around the world online and share various stories and information without being limited by distance or time. Thanks to this, we live in a world where we can easily connect with people on the other side of the world, not only in our daily communication, but also on the other side of the world.
However, there’s one part of our body that’s been exceptionally busy lately. It’s our thumbs. We’re all looking at our smartphones and fiddling with our thumbs all the time, anywhere, anytime. What are people so curious about that they’re constantly tapping their thumbs? One of the reasons people’s thumbs are so busy is social media. Social media allows us to show different sides of ourselves, see different people, and share stories and information with each other. All of this is possible with a few flicks of the thumb. We’ve entered an era where anyone can instantly know who they’re communicating with or how their life is changing. People are saying that they are communicating with others with just a few thumbs. Worse, they feel like they’re seeing the world through the eyes of text on a small screen.
Can we really call what happens through social media real communication? We always ask each other how we are, “How are you?” “When you have time, let’s eat!” We do this habitually. But behind it all, there may be no real interest or depth of connection. What was communication before social media? As far back as humans can remember, the idea of communication was face-to-face conversation. This concept of communication has been practiced for tens of thousands of years and is the most basic form of human communication. With the advent of SNS, even friends who used to talk to each other in person now check each other’s status on SNS and meet less often. SNS, which has been around for less than 10 years, has started to shake up this basic concept of communication.
This drastic change in the form of communication has divided people. Those who adapt to the changes will find social media to be a great way to communicate, but those who don’t are increasingly marginalized. This creates a barrier that prevents everyone from communicating together. In particular, the digital divide between different age groups or generations makes it even more difficult. While younger generations are creating and sharing new cultures through social media, older generations are lagging behind and becoming increasingly disconnected. Because of these barriers, the most essential concept of communication begins to falter: the inability to communicate together.
What are some other reasons why social media communication is a limited form of communication? The stories and information that circulate on social media tend to be partial, not complete. Therefore, the world as seen through social media is only a small part of the world. Also, the images we see of each other on social media are not complete. There are many people who want to show the beautiful and good side of themselves, the side they choose. In a way, it’s a place to brag about who has the best life. People are showing only a part of themselves and talking about only a part of the other person. Can we really say that we know each other through this kind of communication? I think this is not true communication, but limited communication.
As the world changes, the concept of communication in the digital world is changing. However, the most basic concept of communication should not be shaken. When you look at the world, you have to use your eyes to see it, and you have to experience it and accept it. It’s just that you can’t see the world with your thumbs. It’s just a half-hearted communication. You can see various aspects of the world through social media, but that’s not the real world. Why don’t you take a break from your thumbs and look at the world with your own eyes? The world will be more diverse when you see it through your eyes. I think it is necessary to have real communication, not just formal communication through text on a screen while our thumbs are busy on social media. It’s time for us to make a more conscious effort to communicate authentically. We can only fully understand the world through the experience of meeting, feeling, and talking in person.