How internet and social media have wrecked human relations

The world today is witnessing a tremendous changes and development in internet and telecommunication technology.

Technology has made it easier for people to share information and socialise, but it is slowly replacing interpersonal relations.

On the one hand, courtesy of social media, I won’t have to go to the postal office to send a letter to communicate with my friend, but on the other hand, the internet has its downsides such as web obsession, societal bond degeneration and dismantlement of social life fabric. Research has established that spending too much time online has a negative impact on human relationships.

Social media constitutes an existential threat to human relationships. In the African cultural set-up, it has alienated people from their traditions. At the family level, it has led to the degeneration of familial bonding.

If you have been following the news of late, you might have noticed the growing cases of familicide. In my opinion, this has been brought about partly by a communication breakdown at the family level, instigated mainly by social media and the internet abuse.

 Youths today are the largest consumers of internet and social media content. As much as the internet has helped us create new friendships locally and abroad, we should not let it replace social interaction.

To some extent, the harsh reality today is that we make online friends far more easily than we could ever do in face-to-face settings.

The 21st Century generation portrays a lack of proper social grooming. We find it difficult to interact face-to-face because of social media overuse, neglecting our interpersonal communication skills.

Are you aged 10-20 and would like to be Nation’s young reporter? Email your 400-600-word article to [email protected]