Does Social Media and Texting Limit Communication Skills 1

DOES SOCIAL MEDIA AND TEXTING LIMIT AND DECLINE COMMUNICATION

SKILLS.

By Elijah Nickolas Garcia

Student at SJR College

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Abstract

This paper will explain why I believe that social media and texting isn’t limiting or

declining social media, but is in fact expanding how we can talk and communicate by using

Online and reliable sources from the internet. The reasons why I believe that Social Media and

Texting has improved and is continuing to improve how we as humans communicate to one and

another because of these two factors. The following reasons are they are both expanding

communication with people globally, many acronyms and emojis are utilized in modern English

and help many lives, and finally social media had expanded the limits of communication.

What is the TRUE meaning of Social Media and how has it been used.

Before we begin we must know what “Social Media” is because many of us confuse it for

many pop-culture social apps like SnapChat, Twitter, Facebook, etc. but according to the

Cambridge Business English Dictionary the meaning of Social Media is “Social media refers to

the means of interactions among people in which they create, share, and/or exchange information

and ideas in virtual communities and networks” throughout history Social Media and Texting has

gotten a bad reputation by many elderly scientist and local geniuses by claiming that texting is

dumbing humans down to tech zombies and social media is making us dumb ducks, well I am

here to say that social media and texting is doing neither of that but in fact expanding and

making the world into a better and smarter place.

Social Media and Texting is only expanding Communications Globally

Whenever you see someone on their phone what do you think they’re doing, they’re

interaction and talking to other people; one guy is probably texting his mom state, another is

probably emailing his homework to his professor at the last minute because he completely forgot

the due date or simply didn’t care until he realized it was twenty-percent of his grade, but to
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simply put it everyone on any sort of device is communicating one way or another. Scientist and

many people of the past generation say people spend more time on their phones and social media

than reading a book which is wrong, that’s all coming from a generation who made someone rich

for selling “pet” rocks, but studies show that in fact staff reporter from The Atlantic, Alexis

Madrigal did a study on how many people read compared in 1950 until now and studies show

forty-seven percent of us read more than the 1950’s until now. Why do books go with social

interaction you may ask, it’s simple, social media and texting has brought the world together to

spread news like weather, traffic, and even when the police are around. “Social Interaction” isn’t

just talking to people it’s also learning about modern day events as well. So, if you ever see

anyone one their phone they’re simply communicating with someone and that is social

interacting. Also, schools want to enforce “face-to-face interaction” that is a big flop like trying

to teach a tortoise to swim, the reason I say this is because of many people with mental or social

disabilities such as Mutes, Asperger’s, ADHD people with these effects don’t want to look at

people and talk to them I myself have Asperger’s and I don’t want to look at people in the face

because of anxiety, so forcing people to try to talk to each other face to face is a bad idea. It will

bring more stress upon students who wish not to talk to people thus texting is a more viable plan

for them since they won’t have to worry about embarrassing themselves or being stressed from

the peer pressure teachers put onto them.

Emojis and Acronyms are utilized in the English Language

Next is the increasing English language, have you ever wondered why people get all

worked up whenever someone says English is an American made language, well they’re wrong

English a mixed language with many words coming from other languages. What this must do

with well “Social media” has been a huge role into adding into the English language in fact
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actually increased with acronyms like “LOL” “BRB” “TTYL” these are small examples of what

I mean, small things like that change life drastically by spending less time writing all that out.

Imagine being so busy in the middle of something and acronyms didn’t exist, social media has

literally made a new form a language ranging from simple letters to just plain emojis. The

English language is an ever-increasing language and it will continue to grow and “Social Media”

is a huge and major faction that increases it with each new acronym it makes sending texts much

more easier and safer, giving simple four letters, a huge message thus saving lives of millions,

for example people who are in a texting while cooking, driving, or going to rest. These simple

little letters can save us allot of times instead of writing such a long message for example let’s

use this one. “I’ll be right back talk to you later.” Instead it can be written as, “BRB TTYL.” Not

only was that simple for me to type it’s also very easy for even the elderly to learn and make

even them more social by being able to write more faster and easier. A linguist by the name of

Ben Zimmer even goes onto say and I quote, “I don't see it as a threat to written language, but as

an enrichment. The punctuation that we use to express emotion is rather limited. We’ve got the

question mark and the exclamation point, which don’t get you very far if you want to express

things like sarcasm or irony in written form.” Thus, stating many of these texting emojis and

acronyms can bring in a new simple way to convey emotions and a simple message that no one

can see from a distance in such a simple way that everyone can understand.

Expanding Limits Communication

The limit of communication has expanded so far everyone can talk to anyone, “Social

media” and “Texting” has allowed many things to happen in life remember “Social media” isn’t

just Facebook it is the means of spreading ideas or opinions; such items like televisions and

newspaper are sources of social media thus it brings out the most informational time in our lives.
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I mean at home we can learn what the weather is like in Egypt, it’s always hot you’ll be in The

Nile if you think it’ll cool down, bad pun. As I was saying we can learn the news from other

countries, learn language and cultures from people who live in such small or remote areas, you

can go to church and be at home, even Virtual Reality will soon allow us to see the world at the

comfort at home, but this will make us lazy you may ask and it is an argument that has been

going from generation to generation, that is the fear of evolution as humans we all fear it. While

yes, new technology does make us somewhat lazy you must also thing how it affects not just us

but those who need it, imagine if grandma got that new toaster she’s always wanted or auntie

can’t connect to the Wi-Fi which she calls “Wee-fee” that is where social media kicks in you can

contact a repair man or tech support to help them with video chat, but let’s face it you’ll be trying

to get your aunt to stop touching the darn modem cause you’ll both be there forever since you

need Wi-Fi for video calls. You can even be taught at home by a teacher who is also at home.

Which also brings up a new point many claim “social media makes us lazy” is literally saying it

one social media not only making them not that smart but also a hypocrite. “Social media” is

more than the internet it can be a newspaper which was the social media of back then where

people would tell the news to each other at Le’ Ol’ Pub, for Christ’s sake we at one point had

birds delivering messages to us.

Language and Communication will always change.

In conclusion change is upon us, it happens daily and changes the lives of everyone it

affects us all each day. Communication will never stop expanding and social media won’t be the

rise of the tech zombie apocalypse, because believe it at one in point in our eons on this planet

the father of philosophy himself, Socrates states this and I quote, “The written word creates

forgetfulness in the learners’ souls, because they will not use their memories; they will trust to
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the external written characters and not remember of themselves. The specific which you have

discovered is an aid not to memory, but to reminiscence, and you give your disciples not truth,

but only the semblance of truth; they will be hearers of many things and will have learned

nothing; they will appear to be omniscient and will generally know nothing; they will be

tiresome company, having the show of wisdom without the reality.” Now doesn’t that sound very

familiar, it almost sounds like what many of our scientist are saying about “Social Media” and

yet they praise and encourage us to read books. The father of philosophy himself says that

reading is bad because it, “they will not use their memories” meaning all the lectures we hear

every day would be useless that we would be a world of forgetful and ignorant people who can’t

distort reality and fiction, but look at us now. We build monuments, send objects into the endless

space, and people to the depths of the seas all because of “Social Media”. Just remember this

whenever you want to bash “Social Media” for “limiting communication skills” social media

isn’t just the internet its books, newspapers, and telegrams, at one point even a Swiss Biologist

named Conrad Gessner tried to urge various kings and queens of the monarchy to try to lower

and limit the number of books being traded at the time period because he believed people would

suffer from and I quote, “confusing and harmful abundance of books”. That also sounds familiar

that’s all because we fear evolution and communication is changing soon you will probably be

appealed by the new language the new generation brings upon us, but remember change is upon

us don’t be afraid of it.

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References

Madrigal, Alexis C. “The Next Time Someone Says the Internet Killed Reading Books, Show

Them This Chart.” The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, 6 Apr. 2012. Web.

Nowak, Peter. “Boo! A brief history of technology scares.” Maclean’s. Rogers Media, 1 Nov.

2011. Web.

Robb, Alice. “How using Emojis Makes Us Less Emotional” The New Republic Magazine, The

New Republic, 7 July 2014. Web