How the internet has changed/influenced interpersonal communication

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TOC o “1-3” h z u 1.1 Introduction PAGEREF _Toc435692429 h 11.2 The internet and Interpersonal Communication PAGEREF _Toc435692430 h 31.3 Impacts of Internet use in interpersonal communication PAGEREF _Toc435692431 h 81.4 The Future of Interpersonal Communication PAGEREF _Toc435692432 h 111.5 Conclusion PAGEREF _Toc435692433 h 121.6 Works Cited PAGEREF _Toc435692434 h 13

How the internet has changed/influenced interpersonal communication1.1 Introduction
Communication has become like a ball that is bouncing due to the emergence of the internet and improved technology. This is regarding how interpersonal communication has changed over time. In the past, people used to have a face to face interpersonal communication, but that has currently changed and individuals are using different media to communicate with other parties. With the advancements on the Web 2.0, interpersonal communication has reached its highest peak as people are now making use of different technological advancements to communicate with each other around the globe. Internet use has however brought about different changes that pertain to interpersonal communication in the society.

1.2 The internet and Interpersonal CommunicationThe popularity and availability of different communication platforms influence how individuals communicate with each other. The means used to change what people say, how they say it and their overall levels of communication. In the past, the lack of internet and telephones made individuals have communications that were more personal.

During this time, most people did not make use of reading and writing skills more often as they do on the internet. Communication was more personal, and individuals had to get face to face with one another to pass any information that they had within themselves (Baym 300).
Beaudoin confirms that face to face communication made communicators communicate directly to their recipients without problems. During such instances, the words and tones of those words were changed to suit the different situations that existed during communication. It is vital to note that facial expressions often weaken or strengthen the nature of communication two or more people are having. The internet has brought back the relatively forgotten mode of communication as people are currently able to express or shape their communication they way they want. Technology has made it possible to bring back the lost communication capabilities that existed during face to face communication. An example is in the use of social media, where communicators are allowed to use different tools that support their feelings, thoughts or plans without any problem (551).
The internet has brought communication to another level where individuals who are in other regions can communicate with other parties without having to travel. Information is currently passed from one region to another through the use of computers and phones that are already connected to the internet. The internet has therefore made communication easier and faster as opposed to its operations in the past.
Through different mediated communication channels around the globe, interpersonal communication has increased. The level of communication had also become more relevant to the recipients compared when people made use of letters and the telephone. During this time, people wrote letters or spoke on the phone, but their messages could be misinterpreted by other parties. With the emergence of the internet, people can be synchronous the information or immediately ask for clarification without problems. Even though the use of telephones allows synchronization, the use of different means through the internet makes it possible for users to make different body movements or express various emotions that go with their information, and this has made the internet superior in communication as a whole (Beneito-Montagut 717).
There are new ways people have found when communicating with one another that were not available before the internet was in use. Internet use has brought about the idea of using email, chats or websites, which are relatively effective in interpersonal communication. People used to see such provisions as impersonal, but they deliver information in real time. The only challenge with email is that the other recipient has to be notified or often takes some little delay until the receiver opens his or her email box. Chat, on the other hand, is live and only has a little time delay when compared to telephones as the two people often communicating need some time to arrange and organize their ideas through typing. Interpersonal communication through the internet has become easier, and usually requires relatively less time and effort. The communication only desires people to have the skills, knowledge and means of communication.
When the issues of communication started through the use of the internet, communication as a whole lost its meaning, since people were used to the old ways of communicating with each other. The introduction of websites brought about a form of communication that was taught to be powerful, thought it was later discovered to be a one-way communication that was not interactive as required. Face to face communication was therefore seen as more superior to the website. Web sites were found to be more informative and not interactive as required since the ideas of personality were not fully used within the sites.
However, this phenomenon changed with the introduction of the Web 2.0, and many websites incorporated this idea in their operations. The idea of interacting with one another became relevant in websites. People were also able to bring out their different personalities without problems. The invention increased the rate of interpersonal communication due to the introduction of the internet (Kiecker 71).
The internet made it possible for most gadgets to be designed for purposes of communication. Many companies came up with various gadgets that were to be used to relay information through the use of the internet. In essence, the internet necessitated the introduction of different gadgets that were superior in the market for purposes of communicating. Most people have now focused their energy and personal communication online, because of the provisions of the internet.
The internet has increased the nature of information shared, as people get current information from different websites before they communicate them to their recipients. Information in the past is used to be passed face to face, but most of their validity and reliability was often questionable. With the use of the internet, people can chat and at the same time Google different information and pass it to the other party. This reduces time wasted in getting crucial information that is supposed to be passed to an individual. When talking about politics for example and individual can stop for a second and get the information required from the internet, and send the same to the other party that is in need of the same information. This has made it possible for people to get and send information that is factual rather than hearsay as it was in the past.
Further, the internet has enabled most shoppers to communicate with their web stores easily and purchase various commodities that they require. In the past, people used to travel to different regions or stores to be able to see the products they desired to buy before they made a decision to buy them. Currently, with the internet, buyers can view different products, interact with owners about those commodities and eventually make payments for them. The commodities can be shipped to the recipients within short periods of time, and this clearly follows after the agreements made during the transactions.
The internet has therefore made it easy for people to buy and sell online from the comfort of their homes. They can communicate with the sellers and marketers through similar platforms and get any information they may perceive necessary before they make their payments. On the same note, most relationships have emerged through the use of the internet, and this has been possible because it has allowed individuals to share their photos and information in real time. Most relationships require interpersonal communications that are consistent with proof to ensure sustainability. The internet has provided this facet, and most people are currently looking for love online as opposed to offline, where they will be required to face those they want physically. This has been helpful more so for people who feel shy and those who are always busy, with limited time to search for a relationship in the physical world.
The internet through the use of social media has led to different actions from people leading to bad relationships; these actions are known to be similar to those exhibited by individuals in real life. The only difference is the modality of relaying the information. Interpersonal communication has been affected by cyberbullying, and these instances are often seen as similar to those exhibited by no cyberbullying, because individuals exhibit their emotional, behavioral standings in both circumstances. However, the use of the internet has led to more adverse effects when compared to other interpersonal communication modalities.
Interpersonal communication can be affected more by the use of the internet when compared to other contemporary communication capabilities. When individuals are bullied, for example, they can always have a time difference from their oppressors and end up getting help when in a different location. With the internet, most bullies are often present all the time, and removing them is usually hard as most of them have different other platforms to interact with them.
Interpersonal communication has improved because of the enormous amount of information that people currently possess. The internet provides a wide array of information that can be used during conversations through the internet. They have however confused many users, and this has led to sending wrong information when communicating with other internet users. Nie confirms that the increased amount of information on the internet has made most people to quit the use of such platforms like Facebook because they find themselves overwhelmed with the provided information (420). The increase in information has therefore made some individuals communicate hurriedly, and this has also led to sending of wrong or unwanted information.
Identities are currently formed online as opposed to the normally desired aspects of face to face communications. Internet users often create different identities that are not theirs for purposes of fitting into the online system of communications. The internet has thus made many individual to make changes to their identities so that they can be able to be part of the various communications that are often going on through the different sites.
The changes that have been made to the communication modalities among people have led to addictions, and the use of the internet has even been listed as an illness due to lack of concentration, withdrawal from the rest of the world and emotional shutdown. All these internet problems have made users not to communicate effectively with others, and have such felt the need to have personal communications that are face to face. Such occurrences are now detrimental to the interactions that were once thought to be relevant to all the generations.
Most people currently argue that the interactions that are made through the internet have changed human-human communications to technology-human communication. Such changes that have been made possible through the internet might destroy how people view each other and only put more importance to the gadgets that they use while communicating with one another on a personal level.1.3 Impacts of Internet use in interpersonal communicationRelationships between individuals are often enhanced through communication, and these forms of communication must be personal to ensure closer relationships. People often compensate their personal relationships with the use of technology because of the busy lifestyles that are apparent around the globe. This is the more reason as to why most individuals get glued to social media while communicating and interacting with others. Individuals are currently for the idea of using personal websites as opposed to those that are impersonal to ensure clear and intense communications. The internet has therefore been seen as communicative and personal, rather than the various pages that it has for users.
Interpersonal communication between parties has been rendered useless, as individuals currently continue to communicate through the internet even when they are with other human beings around them. People in a restaurant, for example, can continue to communicate with each other, but it is mostly common to find the participants also busy on their phones trying to reach others who are not around them. Others continue to update their statuses in Facebook while others continue to Tweet or text other individuals instead of concentrating with those they are sitting together with during a conversation or meal.
The ideas of using the internet while having other people around individuals have led to marriage breakdowns while others have received or relayed wrong information due to the disruptions that have been found while communicating with other individuals outside the region. The internet should, therefore, be used to strengthen interpersonal relationships rather than breaking them when communicating with individuals.
The use social media has various effects on how people communicate and interact with one another. Individuals prefer communications that are mediated as opposed to “face to face” communications. People often prefer to email rather than meeting over the same issue or text rather than making phone calls. The shift in interpersonal communication has been possible and brought about by the emergence of new forms of technology and the internet. Messages transferred from one individual to another through the internet have become similar to those related face to face, and this has made most people to prefer mediated information rather than face to face information. With the internet, during communication individuals can also make reference or provide information that they would rather not when speaking with individuals face to face. This has made the internet superior in interpersonal communication.
Lu indicates that people are more interactive and social, but their modes of communication have been changed due to the emergence of the internet (230). It is vital to note that, interpersonal communication through the internet is always not strong when compared to “face to face” communication. Individuals never feel personally connected with others when they communicate using the internet. In essence, internet communication never builds strong relationships among individuals, but relationships that can fall when the two parties meet.
Most people have built a relationship online, but such relationships often end up falling when the two parties meet and show their true identities. The internet hides most personalities and traits and often portrays all the people like being able and good in their positions. This is a fallacy, with this age of cyberbullying and internet insecurity. Most individuals have lost their loved ones while others have lost their possessions through different communications they made while online. People have to be careful when communicating with others online because they never reveal who they are during such interpersonal communications.
Such communications have brought about three important issues that should always be considered when communicating with others through the internet, more so when using social media sites. Firstly, when people communicate they often trust the people, they interact with on the other side of their communication. This often makes them provide relevant information that concerns them without thinking that they might be dealing with conmen. Secondly, internet connections are not always strong when compared to “face to face” communication, and this phenomenon often leaves people with relationships that are not strong and only exist in the status quo. Lastly, individuals often receive positive feedbacks with those they communicate with, and this alleviates the idea of getting different opinions when face to face communication is used.1.4 The Future of Interpersonal CommunicationOne of the problems associated with internet use is the lack of privacy on the part of users. Most people often put all their information on different sites because it has become a requirement in many platforms. Such information can be used by the site owners or other users whenever they need. Changes that have been affected by the internet have made possible for people to reveal information that they would rather have given to other parties while communicating face to face. Information that is kept in different sites through the internet can always be searched and used by other users when they need them. Individual should limit the amount of information they provide in through the internet because they might be used for other reasons that might put the owner in jeopardy.
Of course, all negative information surround the use of the internet is easily countered other positive influences like the likelihood to communicate with more people in real time. The internet has also been seen as avoiding the bondage of distance as members can connect with one another through long distances within short periods of time. The idea of speed has also made many critics to support the idea of interpersonal communication while using the internet as opposed to contemporary communication that is usually face to face.
Experts agree that there has been a general shift in the way individuals communicate, and this should be agreed upon by every stakeholder in the industry for purposes of making various changes that will ensure safety and reliability of interpersonal communications. People should, however, realize that relationships that are made through the internet are often weak when compared to those relationships made face to face.
The future of the internet will be more prevalent similar to other technologies that proceeded before its inclusion and use. People will continue to communicate through the internet, and as technology advances, they will need different technological components that support their communication as required. Human beings will continue to communicate online, and such interactions might increase in the coming years. The introduction of social media has been present for a short period but has provided many users with the satisfaction they have always wanted when communicating with others. It is, therefore, true that the internet might be the main source of interpersonal communication due to the lifestyle nature of most users.1.5 Conclusion
The advanced nature of technology has made a communication to be systematic and efficient. However, the modes of interactions have changed significantly. It is vital to note that, even if technology advances, people remain humans, and as humans they also required to have personal relationships that are tangible as opposed to the use of the internet. Most individuals and organization currently make use of the internet to leverage their face to face communication. Corporations are currently joining the social media forum to communicate with their clients who are mostly found online. Person to person communication, which was the mode of communication in the past has changed to the company to person communication because of the effectiveness, efficiency, and speed involved when using the internet for communication. However, internet use is not without risk, and all users need to be careful always before they start their communications with strangers.
1.6 Works CitedBaym, Nancy K., Yan B. Zhang, and Mei-Chen Lin. “Social Interactions Across Media: Interpersonal Communication on the Internet, Telephone and Face-to-Face.” New Media & Society 6.3 (2004): 299-318. Print.
Beaudoin, Christopher E. “Explaining the Relationship between Internet Use and Interpersonal Trust: Taking into Account Motivation and Information Overload.” Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 13.3 (2008): 550-568.
Beneito-Montagut, R. “Ethnography goes online: towards a user-centred methodology to research interpersonal communication on the internet.” Qualitative Research 11 (2011): 716-735. Print.
Kiecker, Pamela, and Deborah Cowles. “Interpersonal Communication and Personal Influence on the Internet: A Framework for Examining Online Word-of-Mouth.” Journal of Euromarketing 11.2 (2002): 71-88. Print.
Lu, Hung-Yi. “Sensation-seeking, Internet dependency, and online interpersonal deception.” Cyberpsychology & behavior : the impact of the Internet, multimedia and virtual reality on behavior and society 11.2 (2008): 227-231. Print.
Nie, N. H. “Sociability, Interpersonal Relations, and the Internet: Reconciling Conflicting Findings.” American Behavioral Scientist 45.3 (2001): 420-435. Print.