SCHOLARLY MATERIAL FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

1. PWANI UNIVERSITY
UNIT CODE:UCC 106
UNIT NAME: COMMUNICATION SKILLS
GROUP WORK;
REG NO. NAME SIGN
SB02/PU/40063/19 BRIAN JUMA NYONGESA
SB02/PU/40104/19 WALTER ONYANGO
SB02/PU/41140/19 HARRISON MNYOKI MSYOKI
SBO2/PU/40086/19 KIMATHI BRIAN MAUNDU
SB02/PU/40077/19 MACHARIA CYRUS MAINA
SB02/PU/40335/19 MAUREEN LIMO CHEPKIRUI
ASSIGNMENT:TAKE AWAY CAT 2 EXAM

2. INTRODUCTION
New technological advancements have had a drastic impact on the way individuals
communicate. With the different kind of online communication methods and tools that it
provides, the social media automatically becomes an integrated mode of human interaction. The
usage of powerful social media platforms such as Facebook, Twiter, Instagram, and yu tube
unquestionably interaction and creating a new system of messages by which people attempt to
understand one another both verbally and nonverbally. The role that social media plays in
interpersonal interaction is crucial to understand and without doubt, there is a wide range of
diverse interpretations related to this phenomenon. This essay critise the influence of social
media on interpersonal communication.
EFFECTS OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION.
SMS usage and communication influences the type of interaction methods of
socialization within a person’s environment. It is now a practice to communicate and resolve
conflicts through SMS communication in everyday life. In the past these were responsibilities
that were obligated to interpersonal skills conducted through face-to face interaction and
communication. Face-to-face interaction relationships are characterized as a verbal social
exchange of knowledge or information that occurs between two people (Nugent, 2013). An
example of this would-be people talking in a verbal conversation. Without face-to-face
interaction there is a possibility of valuable nonverbal communication cues going undetected or
simply being disregarded, which may cause a distance or misunderstanding during
communication. According to the online version of the Collins English Dictionary (2017),
nonverbal communication cues entail things such as the expressions on the face, arm
movements, a body’s stance, or the tone of voice being used and these aid in indicating how a
person feels about something short of using words. Much of the education on nonverbal
communication is learned in home environments by relatives or other parties with significant

3. face-to-face interactions which if effected then impacts the developmental process of the future
generations.
The home is an important factor in learning social and cultural values for families. The
role of the computer and the Internet within the home can have an influence on the intellectual
development of children and adolescents. This can also prepare them for a role in life in which
technology plays an important contribution. Elisa wrote in an investigation regarding family
socialization strategies, that the traditional evenings of sitting around the dinner table as a family
and telling stories, that in history traditionally contributed in the aspects of forming a common
bond and healthy family relationships, are now gone due to the saturation of media and
technology use in the home (2009). Without this example of a face-to-face relationship and
interaction there is no place for future generations to learn the social cues needed to be proficient
in today’s society. The role of the computer and the Internet within the home can have an
influence on the intellectual development of children and adolescents which can also prepare
them for a role in life in which technology plays an important contribution of how to
communicate, self-express and entertain (Plowman, McPake, & Stephen, 2010). This is argued
by Arizona State University professors, Eisenberg and Valiente, who state children will model
the behavior that they frequently observe and encounter through adults. Honesty and lying are
examples that are commonly influenced by parents, but positively displayed prosocial behaviors
of high moral judgement, such as empathy and sharing will also have a great influence on their
children (Moore, 2015).
Research conducted by Bovill and Livingstone (2001) argues that excessive media usage
is leading adolescents and children to spend large portions of their time in the bedrooms instead
of family or communal areas of the home. This in turn is causing a more individualized and

4. socially excluded generation who is spending less time with family members within the home
and causing a negative impact on communication and social interaction skills (Bovill &
Livingstone, 2001).
SMS site usage can be an activity that consumes time that could be otherwise spent with
family members. Mesch (2006) argued that Internet use at home is positively associated with
family conflicts and distances people from communication and social interaction within the
family structure. Studies conducted by Mesch (2006) showed that daily frequency of low Internet
usage for teens showed a more positively relationship with family members and friends.
Adolescents also reported that Internet usage does not improve their relationships with parents
and it also consumes time that could be spent with family members (Mesch, 2006). It is also
observed by Mesch (2006) that families who devote time together in shared activities enjoy a
higher quality of communication within the family.
A study conducted by Kraut, Scherlis, Mukhopadhyay, Manning, & Kiesler, measuring
the impact of social and psychological involvement regarding Internet usage and well-being,
found a relationship between the greater usage of the Internet and the declines in the
communication between family members within a home (1996). This study further suggested
that Internet usage can result in the reduction of family communication and face-to-face
interaction (Kraut et al., 1996). A different study conducted by Kraut, Kielser, Boneva,
Cummings, Helgeson, & Crawford, found that high Internet usage, for communication purposes,
was connected to low levels of communication in the home and also increased the feelings of
loneliness and depression (2002). Plowman et al., (2010) suggests that technology can have a
negative impact on the social interactions within the home, and references (Palmer, 2007)
regarding modern culture creating a toxic technology driven atmosphere which can increase the
risk of social isolation, limit linguistics, and increase obesity.
In some cases, social media enhances interpersonal relationships. Communicating with
people through the social media platforms allows us to create relationships with anyone,
anywhere in the world no matter how far they are from us and regardless of the time zone. It is
also getting people from online virtual relationships to offline into real world relationships. For
instance, somebody may be interacting with someone on Facebook (online) and it reaches a time
where they plan and meet, hence, creating face-face communication. On the other hand, people

5. who can’t communicate with others in real life situations can use the social media as temporary
bridge that enable them to converse with other people at their comfort hence, creating good
relationships between them.
Research conducted by Milissa, (2016) argues that social media has caused many people
to die. The people who die are mostly youths, this is due to the cyberbullying. This is the use of
social media i.e. digital communication tools to make other people feel angered, sad or scared.
Social media bullying is subtler than physical bullying. Youths are dying of this because they do
not have enough capacity of skills to deal with severe bullying. She argued that, youths lack
skills do handle severe bullying and stress due the fact that they spent most of their time on
phones and computers rather than talking to their parents, church leaders and guardians so as
they can consult or they can be taught on how to handle such situations or in case of a stress. Due
to this, many cases of university student committing suicide has been all along the years. Not
only university students but also youths in general.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, social media has many negative impacts on interpersonal communication
than the positive. According to this work we have done, we found out that social media has
greatly derailed interpersonal communication that lead to good relationships among people who
live together or who work in the same company or organization i.e. spending less time with
family members within the home, toxic technology driven atmosphere which can increase the
risk of social isolation, limit linguistics, and increase obesity.

6. REFERENCE
Bovill, M., & Livingstone, S. M. (2001). Bedroom culture and the privisation of media use.
Retrieved from
http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/672/1/Chapter8_Children&ChangingMediaEnvironment.pdf
Kraut, R., Kielser, S., Boneva, B., Cummings, J., Helgeson, V., & Crawford, A. (2002). Internet
paradox revisited. Journal of Social Issues, 58(1), 49-74. Retrieved from
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1540-4560.00248/pdf
Kraut, R., Scherlis, W., Mukhopadhyay, T., Manning, J., & Kiesler, S. (1996). A field trial of
residential internet services. Retrieved from
file:///F:/Research%20Paper/HomeNet_%20A%20Field%20Trial%20of%20Residential
%20Internet%20Services.html
Mesch, G. (2006). Family relations and the internet: Exploring a family boundaries approach.
The Journal of Family Location, 6(2), 119-138. Retrieved from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251956580_Family_Relations_and_the_Interne
t_Exploring_a_Family_Boundaries_Approach
Milissa,B. (2016). Social media use and intimate relationships (Unpublished master thesis).
California State University, Stanislaus, Turlock, California. Retrieved from
https://www.csustan.edu/sites/default/files/groups/University%20Honors%20Program/Jo
urnals/adalberto_sanchez.pdf
Moore, A. (2015). How is family important to the development of morality. Retrieved from
www.livestrong.com