Tahsin Rahman Oshin
The internet holds the promise of enlivening the public sphere of communication all over the world in a single immense network. No doubt, technology has allowed us to communicate with people in far proximity with the help of texts and messages that we never could before.
Instead of air molecules, our channel can be waves, cables and wires connecting us to one another with great time flexibility through the social media of Facebook, Twitter, Gmail, Instagram, Snapchat and so on. It has invented ‘online jobs’, creating an income for millions of people, and made it possible to complete our office duties or even studying at home when you get the cold and traveling to your destinations becomes impossible. Not to mention the massive breakthrough internet has made in research and discoveries, it has paved the way for more wonders to come in future, making everything easier and faster with every second.
Technology has, unquestionably, allowed us to communicate in a completely different way than face-to-face communication. However, in spite of its amazing breakthroughs, it has its own set of flaws when it comes to communication. Ironically, the social media, which was created in order to connect people all over the world, has also caused people to become distant and lose ‘real’
communication. Even phone calls are substituted by texts and messages on social media that are supposed to work as conversations among people. Real interactions are now veiled by illusions of virtual chats. Even on joyous occasions of Eid or Puja, New Year, or even personal celebrations of birthdays and anniversaries, a postcard of a cake or gift or a photo collage with long passages of emotional sentiments about someone is believed to do the work of expressing all the love and concern. Though it is necessary and fun to share your moments with others, but it is also not enough to serve as a real communication. And certainly, no matter how close the person is with you, he or she will naturally be disheartened if you are not physically present or do not make a phone call. The virtual communication that most of us prefer also generally lack a very imperative aspect included in face-to-face conversations: nonverbal communication. Often, it is not clear what a certain text actually conveys what expression, since the same words can be used in a lot of different contexts. Simple phrases like “I love you” can be emphasized with a warm and sincere tone, a hug, a kiss, or a smile, whereas a ‘smiley’ emoticon or a ‘love’ sticker barely surrogates those expressions. Even with the help of hundreds of different applications, we cannot convey through the text what we could physically express through nonverbal communication. Also, another aspect in social media is that people choose to share what seems very positive and gives off the ‘happy’ vibe. But this creates an illusion among people that everyone else, except the viewer, has a nearly perfect and content life with
fewer problems to deal with. This, in turn, creates jealousy, depression, melancholy and various other negative emotions, whereas the only ‘harm’ the other person did was to share his or her personal favorite moments over the gloomy ones.
The bottom line is, before we become the slaves of our own invention, we should learn how to use the virtual world to our own advantage. So you might want to give it a try, keep that phone away for a day, step outside in the sunshine and have a walk with your best friend or visit your parents by surprise. Trust me, the smiles you will get to see, and by all means the ‘real’ smile, will be worth it.
T. R. Oshin is a feature writer at Daily Our Time who has a passion for performing arts and fashion. She is a high school graduate, loves cats and plans to establish an animal shelter in future.