First of all, there is the need to look at how FB has changed the face of communication in the modern world. According to Nogales (2010), this platform has actually overtaken face-to-face as a way of communication. It has become a great way of meeting with new friends, making acquaintances, meeting colleagues and also meeting friends-of-friends. Furthermore, FB ha changed the face of communication in that in the modern world, it is possible to communicate with people who are miles away, even without having to be in close proximity with them. However, Nogales (2010) also observes that this networking can lead to a breakdown in communication. This is because it eliminates some of the factors of communication that are very important. These include but are not limited to facial expressions, gestures, as well as emotional tone. As such, it has made communication somehow flat.
Williams (2008) also has an input on the same issue. She observes that FB acts as a way of improving individuals’ communication skills. This is because an individual can log in at any time. During this time, the person can get exposed to the different ways in which the people communicate, and thereby get to improve their personal communication skills. Furthermore, there are posts that are placed on people’s walls, as well as comments that people keep on posting. Furthermore, FB also provides a channel where people can share on the ideas they have over a given issue. As an individual follows these kinds of communication, it is very easy to learn and improve the communication skills. From this perspective, it can be argued that FB has helped in improving communication since it acts as a chance for the people to learn ion how to communicate. This can be said to be a positive change that can be god for the modern communication where people are well immersed into technology.
Though there are the developments that FB has had on communication, it has to be acknowledged that there are two sides of the same. There are the advantages as well as the disadvantages of FB as a means of communication. In learning the effects that FB has had on communication, there is the need to look at these two aspects. These are as explained in the paragraphs below.
According to Scientific Era (2012) one of the greatest advantages of FB is that it acts as a platform for sharing of information. It is a site through which people can ask questions, share opinions, provide responses to some questions by other people and also share personal information. The good thing about this is that the platform can allow an individual to have control over the kind of information that he wishes to share through the site. This is quiet a positive aspect. Another advantage is that the site allows for chatting. As Williams (2008) observes, the site allows for the individuals to have friends and people to share with. This is through the chatting facility. Though there is no aspect of face to face communication, yet the platform allows the people to share the ideas they have. The chat can be between two individuals only, or between different people. The fact remains that people can share quiet a lot through the site. According to Rahul (2012), this chatting platform can allow people to network with different people and develop relationships. He further observes that this site is used as a means of dating, especially by the young people who are quiet informed on how to use it effectively. Generally, it can be said that FB acts as a link, a network that brings many people together rand allows them to share their interests, ideas, and other issues that they might have. Some businesses have also taken it to another level where they use the site to market their businesses through advertising on the platform.
There is also the dark side of FB. As Scientific Era (2012) has it, one of the greatest disadvantages is that an individual’s privacy can be really compromised. This is because people tend to post all their information, including the confidential information on these sites. The disadvantage is that other people could be following an individual through the site. As such, one can have so many requests for friendship, and might end up confirming some friends that were not supposed to be. There is also the possibility of scams where unscrupulous individuals can take the advantage and convince people to form groups which might be orchestrated through wrong motives. This can be very disappointing. Lastly, there is the issue of addiction, where an individual spends all the time on the face book. Not only does this waste time, but also makes people engage in unproductive activities such as viewing the pictures of others, playing games or doing other things that might have no benefit an individual at all. This just indicates how bad the effects of addiction to FB can be; this is a concern especially for the young people who are the main users of the service. Another fact that has to be noted is the fact that FB offers the chance to comment on some issues that have been suggested by their peers. For instance, there is the issue of liking and different things posted by friends. It so happens that an individual can click on ‘Like’ on an item that is not exactly a preference. At times, the item clicked can be out of context or might be out of the ethical considerations. The worst thing is that the site indicates that an individual liked a particular issue. This aspect can be quite a disadvantage as it can create the wrong perception of an individual. It is also a bother since the comments for ‘like’ seem to flock the individual’s inbox.
In conclusion, this essay has looked at FB as one of the web communication platforms. From the discussion, it has emerged that the platform has affected communication in the modern era by substitution the face to face communication, and also by improving the communication skills. There are quiet a number of advantages associated with the platform such as ability to chat and connect with many people, hence advancing the social networks. There are also quite a number of disadvantages. These include scams, wasting of time as well as infringement of an individual’s privacy. Though there are both sides of this platform, this essay takes the position that the effects of FB on an individual are dependent on how an individual decides to interact with and manage the platform.
References
Cake, D. (2012). Social Networks. (Attached).
Nogales, A. (2010). Face Book versus Face-to-Face. Retrieved on 26th Nov. 2012 from
Rahul. (2012). What are the Advantages and Disadvantages of Face Book? Retrieved on 26th Nov. 2012 from
Scientific Era. (2012). 5 Worst Disadvantages of Face Book. Retrieved on 26th Nov. 2012 from
Scientific Era. (2012). 7 Great Advantages of Face Book. Retrieved on 26th Nov. 2012 from
Williams, S. (2008). Study: Face book Improves Communication Skills. Retrieved on 26th Nov. 2012 from
