The Negative Effects Of Face-To-Face Communication By Heather Horkle

Audrey dislikes face-to-face communications as well as talking on the phone because she finds it to be difficult. However, she does understand that there are certain situations where face-to-face would be the most appropriate approach because it would give the conversation itself more meaning. After breaking up with her boyfriend through online social media, she ended up regretting it in the end because she knew that he deserved better than that. This situation ends up being ironic because Audrey insists on avoiding real conversations, yet she believes that one cannot break up via ICTs.

There are times when mediated communication is appropriate, but also times when interacting with someone face-to-face is better. Through Turkle’s example of

Heather A. Horst focuses her approach on how the interactions between family members are decreasing because they are spending too much time on the Internet and their phones. This not only has an effect on their life at home, but outside of it as well because they are lacking the communications skills that should be learned at home. Parents are worrying about their children spending too much time on their computers and mobile devices, rather than outside, interacting with their friends and family in person. Some parents feel that they have lost control and that their kids have become addicted to social media. Even the parents who may seem to think that they have the technology under control at home do not have much control over it when their children are somewhere else, whether it be at a friend’s house or in school. The amount of access that they have to technology is unlimited. To look at the positive aspect of this, social media is also allowing for families to spend more time interacting together. Akmalla, who spends her free time playing World of Warcraft with her family, states that through the use of technology, she is able to spend more time with them (Horst, 2007, p.