Can Cyber-Communication Weaken Relationships?
I always wonder if I am alone in thinking that electronic mail, text messaging, and social networks depreciate our relationship with others. Things we used to say face to face can now be conveyed ‘mechanically.’ This results in a number of changes; it eliminates our ability to see the other person’s facial expressions, which can communicate a great deal. Our circles of friends increase to a significantly larger number because we are able to befriend people very easily online. For example, people who have hundreds of ‘friends’ on Facebook have many friends that are simply acquaintances. Yet, because so much of their lives are exposed on Facebook, we suddenly know lots of random information about them. This can leave us with less time to concentrate on our relationships with people that are closer to us. I myself am a great sucker for Gmail chat. It is easy to use and very reliable. I feel like I am freer to speak my mind. I find it easier to say things because chat is less formal. In on
