The methods of interactions, experiences, and how we perceive the world are permanently impacted and altered by adding social media to our lives. On top of that, it provides a vast field of opportunities to keep people informed and connected and dramatically increases the number of issues we encounter with our interpersonal relationships. The study aims to determine social media’s impact on interpersonal relationships, concentrating on how they influence communication, self-esteem, and intimacy. Despite the impact that SMM can have on communication and relationships, it can also have some consequences for interpersonal relations. Often, these implications include diminishing face-to-face contact, an intensification of self-comparison, and a lack of intimacy.
Social media networks deliver platforms for convenient communication, yet in most cases, they substitute real-time dialogue, which happens face-to-face. The fact that we rely so much on digital communication may damage human conversations’ sincerity and genuineness. A direct relationship exists between the amount of time spent on social media and the likelihood of feeling depressed, isolated, and lonely, making socialization away from social media negative for a person (Abi-Jaoude, 2020). The level and kind of personal relationships will likely decrease with individuals trying to connect on digital platforms instead of offline. These might develop as a hindrance to actual human interaction and overall emotional health.
The internet space of social media usually provides people with curated showcases of people’s lives, which encourages comparisons and, hence, may lead to feelings of inadequacy. It could indeed be the case that the pressure from continually seeing perfect images might negatively affect the way we feel about ourselves. Researchers have demonstrated a strong relationship between time spent daydreaming on social media and symptoms of depression and anxiety in teens and young adults who experience these most frequently. There is a possibility that people may harbor greater dissatisfaction with their own lives by continuing to consume these amazingly highlighted pictures (Thorisdottir, 2020). This could create a cycle of comparing with the worse self and suffering from psychological distress.
Social media has one big trick up its sleeve. It can pave the way for relationships but is also likely to cause the breaking of intimacy. The speed of interaction on the internet frequently leads to situations where relationships seem less profound, making it harder to form a genuine connection. Several studies show that people who spend much time on social media platforms report their relationships with lower satisfaction and closeness to their partners. Consequently, the ease of digital communication makes individuals favor shallow connections instead of in-depth and meaningful talks, which, in turn, affects the emotional intimacy between them. Thus, it is conceivable that relationships will become more transactional, wherein maintaining a presence on social media will be more important than creating a natural bond with the other party. The recognition of the likelihood of excessive use of social media and the valuation of offline contacts contribute to the achievement of deeper interpersonal ties and an increased level of relationship satisfaction (Meier & Reinecke, 2020). However, this trend brings to light the need for an understanding of these possible threats.
Recent studies by Abi-Jaoude (2020), Meier and Reinecke (2020), and Thorisdottir (2020) have shown that this bond is very complex and social media, particularly among young people and pupils, has a profound impact on personal communication. These studies, individually and collectively, show that social media overuse can be very damaging to mental health. They illustrate the relationship between excess use of social media and loneliness, anxiety, and depression as well. Even though social media platforms offer opportunities for self-actualization and socialization, they also bring forth some challenges in building a genuine network and authentic relationships. In addition, the complexity of this problem is reflected in the fact that there is a feedback between social media usage and mental health consequences that go in both directions. In the long run, we need to develop ways for higher-quality communication and foster solid relationships between people (Thorisdottir, 2020). This might be achieved by tackling the boundaries of current research and applying a more careful approach to reviewing the impact of social networks.
Social media increasingly prevails in contemporary society with the changes in the communication environment that it offers, posing enormous challenges to the traditional ways of human communication. Social media platforms’ increasing proliferation and use influence interaction patterns, esteem, and intimacy. Therefore, the opportunities and challenges to the human connection are always there. The result is that it is a question of carefully planning the regulation for using social media to mitigate the negative effect of technology on social links. In addition, it is paramount to conduct more research to grasp how social media influences the dynamics of personal relationships. As researchers investigate social media’s positive and negative effects on communication and relationships, they develop healthy virtual communication techniques and enhance general social well-being. Generally, it would only be possible to deal with the complexity of modern social media communication with a profound knowledge of its role in human interpersonal relationships.
Abi-Jaoude, E., Naylor, K. T., & Pignatiello, A. (2020). Smartphones, Social Media Use and Youth Mental Health. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 192(6). National Library of Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.190434
Meier, A., & Reinecke, L. (2020). Computer-Mediated Communication, Social Media, and Mental Health: A Conceptual and Empirical Meta-Review. Communication Research, 48(8), 009365022095822. https://doi.org/10.1177/0093650220958224
Thorisdottir, I. E., Sigurvinsdottir, R., Kristjansson, A. L., Allegrante, J. P., Lilly, C. L., & Sigfusdottir, I. D. (2020). Longitudinal association between social media use and psychological distress among adolescents. Preventive Medicine, 141, 106270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2020.106270