How has Social Media
impacted the social skills
of young adults?
By: Taylor Lindsay
Communication Style
• Communication style is probably the most
drastic way that social media has been able
to influence todays society
• Because of social media, people are now
able to express how they are feeling to
hundreds to thousands of people simply by
clicking a send
Social Media vs Communication
• Social media is quickly becoming a main form of communication for the
youth of today’s society that is ultimately crippling to long term social
skills.
• Some phycologist say that as children get more comfortable
communicating solely online through social media, they will also slowly
loose the important skills needed for face-to-face communication
Technology in children
• According to Yamalis Diaz who wrote an article called “Anti-social Networking” The total amount of
media use by youth ages 8 to 18 averages 6-plus hours a day which is more than any other activity.
• In the same article Diaz writes that one third of children talk face-to-face with friends, around the
same percentage that talk on cell phones (38 percent) and land lines (30 percent).
• 80% of children have some at least one social media outlet and over 25% of these children contact
their peers solely through social media when they are not in the same room (even sometimes when
they are in the same room)
Affects of Social Media on Social
skills
• Face-to-face communication has been declining since devices such as the cell
phone and computer have become more popular
• The ease of being able to express your emotions online with the protection of a
computer screen is much more appealing to most people than using social skills
to express these same feelings
Why is this such a bad thing?
• A research study done by Finklehor D Mitchell, gave some reasons as to why
excessive use of social media is a hindrance to social skills
• He stated that relationships online are typically shallow, casual, and short-lived
which doesn’t allow for very much room for a relationship to grow as it may if the
people were having a more personal conversation than one done through a
computer
• Online conversations lack the necessary tools such as facial expressions and tone
of voice that are needed to effectively understand what another person is trying
to say.
Overall impact of Social Media on
Young Adults
• Young adults are spending more time in front of a screen using social media to
communicate with friends
• Face-to-face communication has declined drastically in this generation
• Social media enhances a child’s online skills while their actual communication
skills tend to depreciate over time
Works Cited
• Affonso, Ben. "Effect of the Internet On Social Skills." Effect of the Internet On Social Skills. University on
Nevada, Reno, 1 Dec. 1999. Web. 22 June. 2014. <http://sierrasource.com/cep612/internet.html>.
• Bindley, Katherine. "When Children Text All Day, What Happens To Their Social Skills?"The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 09 Dec. 2011. Web. 22 June. 2014.
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/12/09/children-texting-technology-social-skills_n_1137570.html>.
• Diaz,, Yamalis, PhD, Lori Evans, PhD, and Richard Gallaghar, PhD. "Anti-Social Networking: How Do Texting
and Social Media Affect Our Children? A Panel Discussion by CSC Clinicians at the Nightingale-Bamford
School | AboutOurKids.org." How Do Texting and Social Media Affect Our Children? NYU Child Study Center, 14
Nov. 2011. Web. 22 June. 2014.
<http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/antisocial_networking_how_do_texting_social_media_affect_our_c
hildren_panel_discussion_csc_>.
• Kinetics, Human. "Technology Can Have Positive and Negative Impact on Social
Interactions." Humankinetics. Human Kinetics, 07 Sept. 2010. Web. 22 June. 2014.
<http://www.humankinetics.com/excerpts/excerpts/technology-can-have-positive-and-negative-impact-onsocial-interactions>.
• Ludden, Jennifer. "Teen Texting Soars; Will Social Skills Suffer?" NPR. NPR, 20 Apr. 2010. Web. 22 Oct. 2012.
<http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126117811>.
• Wilks, Mary.
"Online Social Networking’s Effect on Adolescent Social Development ."Online Social Networking’s Effect on
Adolescent Social Development (2011): 2-11. Eckerd.edu. Web. 22 June. 2014.
< http://www.eckerd.edu/academics/ford/files/11/Mary_Wilks.pdf>.
How I used my IT2010 Skills…
• Works cited page to give original authors credit
• Pictures that were used were found mostly using “clipart” and are protected
under the fair use doctrine because I am using them for a school assignment
• I tried not to organize my thoughts so the presentation was clear
• There was not too much information on each slide.