Productive Counterargument Proposal
It is obvious that social media has had a substantial influence on the way we
communicate with one another in today’s society. I enjoy using social media for communicating
with my friends and family as much as the next person. The purpose of this essay is to study
whether or not social media is having an adverse effect on interpersonal communication skills
and effectiveness. When a person substitutes authentic face-to-face communication with virtual
communication void of non-verbal interaction, there is danger of harmful effects.
Who hasn’t spotted a group of friends at a sporting event entirely consumed with social
media on their smartphones rather than enjoying the event in meaningful communication with
one another? Who hasn’t witnessed a family together in a restaurant all staring at their hand-held
devices? Who hasn’t missed a phone call or listened to a voicemail message and decided to
respond via short text message because it’s quicker and easier? We’ve all been guilty of these
offenses. With awareness that interpersonal communication skills and effectiveness diminish
without practice, I’m writing this essay to challenge people to be careful with communicating via
social media. There is no harm in using it in moderation, just be diligent to avoid becoming
obsessed with it. Strive to balance social media communication with equal parts of inter-
personal communication.
Impact of Social Media on Communication
Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and Facebook are recognized names that have become
commonplace in today’s society. These four social media technologies are world renowned even
though their companies and products have only been in existence between four and twelve years!
Their offerings focus on different means of communication via electronic devices like cell
phones, smartphones, laptop computers, tablet computers, and desktop computers. Despite the
fact that these forms of digital communication haven’t been in existence very long, social media
has already transformed the way human beings communicate with each other. With this
paradigm shift in interpersonal communication over the past few years, people often debate
whether or not social media is a good thing. A more relevant question is whether or not social
media is harming the way younger people now interact with others.
