Social networking sites impacts on interpersonal communication skills and relationships

Abstract

The use of social networking sites and other mobile applications have been growing intensively, not to mention, several researches indicated that it is one of the factors that impact the relationship maintenance between one another. It is highly desirable for all citizens to have a good interpersonal communication to maintain and develop further relationships. Bad communication skills may have harmed the interpersonal relationships. On the other hand, when talking about social networking sites like facebook and what it does to the society, people instantly thought of a smaller world or a communication platform with no boundaries. Regardless of their benefits in connecting people around the globe, scholars have been studying its impact on user’s mental health and society using quantitative approaches with western university students. Nevertheless, thai users stated that their phubbing behaviors do no harm to their relationships. This paper aimed to filled gaps and limitations of previous researches, with qualitative approach by interviews and observations of thai users along with their interpersonal communication skills. Qualitative method was chose to gain understandings of the underlying reasons and motivations of the users which provide explanations that quantitative method could not do. The interviews were conducted in both one on one and small focused group, consisted of ten participants in total. Results are that facebook have both positive and negative sides to the users, while it virtually brings people together but in also drift away their loved ones in reality. There would be certain thoughts and feeling they choose to express on facebook and texts but face to face is still needed for serious and personal

conversations. It is undeniable that facebook has been with human beings for almost a decade that users have almost forgotten their lives without it. Sometimes, to turn off is to connect with others in order to build strong interpersonal relationships.