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SOCIAL MEDIA AS A PLATFORM FOR SOCIALIZATION FOR SOCIAL INHIBITS AND THE FORMING OF FRIENDSHIPS IN 2030

SOCIAL MEDIA AS A PLATFORM FOR SOCIALIZATION FOR SOCIAL INHIBITS
AND THE FORMING OF FRIENDSHIPS IN 2030



Written by: Valéria Santos

On our last posts, we’ve been discussing about some challenges of interpersonal communication in online contexts and relationship development. We’ve talked about how the lack of non-verbal cues prevent users from experiencing a sense of the other, which may impact the forming of strong bonds and relationships. We’ve also discussed that the lack of cues on social media leads to more frequent misunderstandings and conflicts and that the lack of empathy also affects adjusting behaviour and influences sustaining friendships in online contexts.
However, while writing about these topics, I’ve also come across some articles addressing how social media can be a platform for socialization and how people who are more timid or who have a more introverted personality feel more comfortable and less intimidated while interacting in online settings. As Collier (2011) suggests, it seems it is easier to be outgoing online than it is in face-to-face communication. For an introvert, it appears to be more difficult to be in a room full of people and interact to them in person or sustain a first-time meeting conversation for a longer length than it is on social media.
Research shows it is more likely for users to “convey their ‘‘true selves’’ to others online than in face-to-face settings”. Also, “the Internet offers a ‘safer’ medium for self-expression and intimate disclosure” […] especially “in the case of people with social inhibitions” (Amichai-Hamburger, Kingsbury & Schneider, 2013, p.35).
Steward (2015) says that “online engagement allows an introvert to construct a well thought-out response without the pressure of thinking on the spot like they would in a face-to-face discussion”.
When we consider what it is going to be like in the future, it seems the changes that will be made in social media by 2030 will keep allowing introverts to stay connected with enough offline or downtime. I believe that social media will still be a safer environment that allows inhibits more time to think and make choices before posting. By having this environment with less pressure, I believe people will continue to feel more at ease to connect, interact and as a result, to form relationships.
I’d love to hear about your personality type and how you think social media helps you communicate and interact with others.
And if you want to learn more, make sure you read my next blog post.

References:
Amichai-Hamburger, Y., Kingsbury, M., & Schneider, B. H. (2013). Friendship: An old concept with a new meaning? Computers in Human Behavior, 29(1), 33-39. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2012.05.025
Collier, M. (2011). Why introverts love Social Media. Retrieved from http://www.mackcollier.com/why-introverts-love-social-media/

 Steward, S. (2015). How Technology and Social Media Empower the Introvert. Retrieved from https://knowledge-leader.colliers.com/editor/how-technology-and-social-media-empower-the-introvert/
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