I have noticed from my friends and generally people from my generation have lost the basic verbal skills to hold a conversation or to give our opinion without the use of a keyboard or mobile phone.
Many people put on a different persona from our real selves when communicating on the internet. You can hold a webchat with someone a million miles away, rather than with a person down the street or at school.
Most teenagers develop a mild "multiple personality" disorder online. They sign in their user name and start tapping away on the keyboard and become the most funny and brave people, chatting to others, but once they log off they go back to being shy, reclusive and unsociable on a basic level.
The internet gives people self confidence they thought they might not have, however the internet has opened up the door to 24 hour bullying, among other negative aspects.
This leaves the victim unable to "escape" from the bullying, and has a serious impact on their life. They are constantly experiencing low self esteem down, and with the internet they are unable to escape this.
If we are all typing away to each other as a means of communication we lose the ability to interact on a basic level. Social skills are key to going far in life, be that passing an interview to get a job, or simply to maintain personal friends.
Although you may feel I am pessimistic about this means of communication I do use these methods myself, but I use them to communicate to close friends or family and for that I think it is brilliant.
I don't need to phone a friend to have a conversation with them. I can be sent pictures and files that are close to me and my friends, but I don't spent hours chatting to someone that I don't even know.
Perhaps young people need to distance themselves from their keyboard and to start making personal connections with people near to us and that way we can really go far!
About this article
This article was written by Gavin Moran, 17, and published in the Sunday Journal.
