TOPIC: EFFECTS OF

ONLINE
COMMUNICATION

Submitted by : R.DAKSHA MIRDULA

Class: XII
 VELAMMAL BODHI

CAMPUS THANJAVUR

ROLL NO:

NAME :

CLASS :

SUBJECT:

SUBJECT CODE:
CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that __________________.

Has successfully completed the research
on the below mentioned project under the
guidance of ____________.(subject teacher)
During the year 2024-25 in practical
fulfilment of English practical
examination.
Objectives of this project :
1. Applications of linguistic concepts in day to day life.

2. To develop reasoning ability.

3. To develop interest in and appreciation of Literature.

4. To develop and integrate the use of the four languageskills –

Reading, Listening, Speaking, Writing

The digital age has seen a great increase in the

number of internet users and reliance on online
communications in particular. Youths or young
people are among the most common groups who
use the internet to interact or communicate with
their peers, family, and friends. The current
study explored the impact of online
communications on the social, emotional, and
moral competence of different users. The study
findings revealed that online communication or
interactions are essential in connecting distant
friends or relatives through virtual
communication. However, it was revealed that
over dependence on different online interaction
platforms could relatively impact the social,
emotional, and moral competence of the users,
especially the youth or young.

Introduction

Social media or digital media is radically

influencing the manner in which people interact
or communicate thereby affecting their
mindsets, attitude and experiences. With
increase in the use of the internet most
especially among the young, the perceptions or
reactions towards the different aspects of life has
greatly changed among different groups of
people (Brady et al., 2017). New technologies in
the field of virtual or online communication pose
a great impact on the emotional, social and
moral competences among internet users
particularly the young, adolescents or youth.
Increased use of virtual communication platforms
has greatly influenced the performance of
children in schools, the increased the desire for
supremacy and the love for quick solutions to
complex problems thereby affecting the level of
patience among internet users (Riva et al.,
2016).
The Internet has clearly become a very
important tool in the field of communication
most especially among the young generation
who use it majorly to connect with their fellow
peers for knowledge sharing or forming strong
relationships. The different tools of the internet
are increasingly being an educational tool for
different levels of education and this has had a
great impact on the academic capabilities of
students. The issue of the potential impact of the
Internet and especially computer-related
communication in the form and quality of
communication among the young has attracted
great attention in the recent past (Malle &
Scheutz, 2014).
Miah (2018) explored the level to which
technology humanity most concerning the
cognitive, social, and emotional wellbeing of
individuals. The study revealed that those who
spend most of their valuable time on the Internet
are often preoccupied with several thoughts
about things to do online when they are offline.
"Addictive" technology is difficult to limit online
activities whether they interfere with work,
study, financial well-being, or community
activities. Globokar (2018) indicates that
whereas some internet users experience
technology as the cause of the problem, others
believe that technology only shows problematic
proposals that people already possess. Some
allow technology to interfere with their lives,
while others know when to turn off a device and
return to our social, family, educational, or
economic activities. Globokar (2018) argues that
despite the fact that some internet users
experience several problems with increased use
of technology, other users have continuously
revealed that increased technology use has no
influence on their moral social or emotional
development. This therefore indicates that the
interpretation of the different aspects of online
communication varies across different groups of
people. Darling-Churchill & Lippman (2016)
indicate that people who are addicted to the
internet are faced with different dynamics that
greatly affect their social, emotional and moral
wellbeing. This paper presents the latest
research on the general impact of online
communication on the social, emotional and
moral competences of the users.

Impact of online
communication

The fundamental position concerning online

communication is that it has a significant impact
on the emotional, social, and moral wellbeing of
the users. In situations where children are much
involved in different online activities, there is a
high possibility that they could develop unique
skills and acquire more knowledge concerning
different aspects.
However over reliance on online communication
can have severe implications on the general
development and well-being of an individual
(DarlingChurchill & Lippman, 2016).
The impact of online communication on the
different aspects of social, emotional and moral
competences is explained below.

Social competences

The increased use of different social media or

digital media platforms has continued to
influence the establishment and maintaining of
different social relationships. However, most of
the relationships formed through virtual
communication are considered unreal hence
most of them have failed to help but rather lead
to exhaustion of the involved parties (Owens et
al., 2018). Virtual communication makes social
relationships less risky and to a greater extent
less painful, hence it is always very easy to
withdraw from such relationships formed on the
internet.

However, in the real world, the establishment of

genuine and long-lasting relationships is very
complex hence requires more commitment and
acceptance for both parties. This makes
relationships in the contemporary world more
real than those formed on the internet which
makes individuals addicted to online
communication less human (Morata, 2020).
Owens et al. (2018) indicate that social or digital
media affects the general conveyance of
different meta-messages since on-line
communication does not involve physical or face
to face based conversations.
However measures are still exchanged virtually
via the phone hence an individual is still able to
acknowledge the different dynamics of the voice
and color in case of video calls. It is important to
note that social networking allows internet users
to establish a virtual self which can be utilized to
connect with other people of similar or different
beliefs. It is normally very difficult to resolve
different conflicts that may arise during online
interactions in a virtual world.
This is majorly due to lack of body contact or
body language and real tone of voice etc during
the process of communication which tends to
increase the chances of misunderstandings(Lee,
2009). Furthermore, written messages via
whatsapp, Facebook or Twitter can be forwarded
to other people who are not part of the
conversion, and this can lead to abuse.
For example a negative comment made
onFacebook can leave a very deep impact or
consequence on the sender as compared to
communication conducted through face-to-face
encounters (Globokar, 2018). The social
perspective through most internet users both
young and old grow up is currently associated
with a high-level of individualism(Darling-
Churchill & Lippman, 2016; Morata, 2020). The
different needs or desires of an individual are
considered first in any online conversation hence
there is little empathy for the different needs or
rights of other people.
The major values of modern society include:
freedom, autonomy, and a high level of
tolerance. However, individuals have failed to
meet these values of the society when engaged
in online communication (Brady et al., 2017). The
different social networks are developed to enable
individuals to connect and interact easily among
each other. Different studies confirm that most of
today’s young people, despite the increase in the
connection though social networking, are
increasingly becoming lonely in real life and fail
to see any future aspects with online
relationships.

Studies indicate that online communications

have increased the feelings of loneliness to a
greater margin as compared to 20 years ago
most especially among young people on the rage
of 18 to 35 years(Darling-Churchill & Lippman,
2016; Subrahmanyam & Greenfield, 2008;
Valkenburg & Peter, 2007).

Emotional competences
The use of different internet-based
communication channels, devices or platforms
has a great impact on the general development
of both cognitive and emotional competences of
the users most especially the young people.
The interactions undertaken on the on-line
communication platforms render a significant
transformation on the level of thinking among
the young (van den Eijnden et al., 2008). Kolucki
& Lemish (2011) indicate that the different
aspects of digital or online communications help
in transforming the mindsets of people from an
analogue, highly structured, sequential, and
referential to a more specific, vague, global, and
highly holistic mindset.
Online interactions also tend to change the
different experiences of internet users since the
different aspects of internet or digital media
bring closer all distant features and move away
elements or things that seem closer (Valkenburg
& Peter, 2007). Morata (2020) indicates that
online interactions through social media only
provides a depiction of the world but does not
bring out the true reality of the world itself. In
this case the internet based interactions convey
the world presence without the actual
dimensions of time and space or environment.
This makes the different engagements done
online very simultaneous and highly momentary
as compared to face to face interactions. The
need to acquire knowledge or information about
essential aspects of the modern age is one of the
most important things that force people to
engage in online interactions. The use of the
iinternet has greatly improved Kalogiannidis et
al, Journal of System and Management Sciences,
Vol. 12 (2022) No. 5, pp. 359-373 363 the pace
of knowledge acquisition since it is associated
with fast dissemination or transfer of information
from one source to several users in the shortest
time possible (Berg et al., 2017; Riva et al.,
2016).
People are able to generate answers to different
questions with the use of online communication.
However, most scholars argue that the increased
reliance on the internet for different solutions to
both complex and simple questions has greatly
affected the intermediate stage of excitement
involved in searching for such solutions.
Furthermore the increase in the use of online
platforms for communication has reduced the
level of patience, the ability to face frustrations,
and the desire to reestablish alternative
strategies in case of new challenges or problems
that need alternative solutions (Herman &
Collins, 2018; Wang & Wang, 2011).
Scholars such as Umberto Galimberti argue that
emotional development among the young has
greatly devalued with the increase in the use of
the internet for communication (Competence &
Maturity, 2010). Most young people are
malnourished in terms of emotional competences
whereby they are much overwhelmed by the
various experiences at early stages of childhood
that they cannot easily process all because of
increased internet use. Online communication via
social media platforms has improved the skills of
people concerning fast responses but has failed
to enhance the ability to think or reflect deeply
about complex problems(Competence &
Maturity, 2010; Subrahmanyam & Greenfield,
2008).
Galimberti claims that inability to reflect deeply
and high level of emotivity may result in several
emotional deficiencies such as high apathy for
emotional apparatus such as addiction to drugs,
love for violence, and high level of creativity
incase an individual has self-discipline
(Competence & Maturity, 2010). Generally online
communication and other aspects of social media
or digital media greatly influence the emotional
development of children in several ways but
most especially on their attitude towards
different life situations.
Internet use has increased the tendency of
people especially the young, to expect instant
gratification of their different needs and quick
fulfilment of their demands or wishes. This can
be dangerous in the long run especially when
such needs or wishes are not fulfilled or met on
time (Riva et al., 2016; Valkenburg & Taylor
Piotrowski, 2017).

Moral competences
 The moral development of any internet user is
greatly dependent on their ability to accord equal
rights to other internet users. In this case young
internet users should be in position to
acknowledge the fact the other person is also
capable of offering highly valuable or reasonable
thoughts during any online communication
between two or more people. A moral personality
is very instrumental in making different essential
decisions whereby internet users with a high
personality are able to undertake decisions in an
autonomous, reasonable, and very responsible
manner
Lee (2009) indicates that human behavior or character
does not result from external impulses but rather from
an individual’s internal contemplation. A high moral
personality is considered a great influencer of an
individual’s actions in society. People with a great
personality are always in position to account for their
actions in society as compared to individuals with a
poor personality. Similarly the increased use on online
communication has greatly affected the personalities of
most young internet users especially concerning
respect for elders, leaders and fellow internet users
(Darling-Churchill & Lippman, 2016).
There is a great internal connection or relationship
between moral development and social or emotional
development of an individual.
In this case, an impact rendered on moral competence
by online communication also doubly affects the
emotional and social competences of individuals. The
overall prerequisite or requirement for any moral
decisions undertaken by individuals during online
communications is based on one’s level of social
sensitivity and emotional maturity (Brady et al., 2017;
Zych et al., 2018). Moral decisions are always
considered sensible and tend to transcend different
bare impulses and consequently involve other people
as equals. Research also indicates that moral decisions
focus on the irreplaceable role of an essential subject
or element of focus(Riva et al., 2016). Furthermore the
different moral decisions undertaken by internet users
tend to focus on self-satisfaction without considering
the wellbeing of others.
This is mostly common among young internet users
who are highly egocentric and have no ethical values of
relating with people virtually through online
communications (Bonetti et al., 2010)

Methods
The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design that
involved using an online survey questionnaire to collect
data from different participants selected from the
different social media platforms particularly Facebook,
Twitter, Whatsapp and Instagram. The study employed
probability sampling techniques whereby a simple
random sampling technique was used in selecting the
different study participants. The reason for using the
different subscribers of the different social media
platforms was because they possess enough
knowledge on how online communication has
influenced the social, emotional, and moral
competences of internet users. A total sample size of
155 participants randomly selected from the target
population of the different subscribers of the different
online communication platforms. Data collection was
conducted by availing the survey questionnaire
through an online data collection platform (Survey
monkey) that involved engaging with the targeted
sample size of participants.
The questionnaire was mostly composed of open ended
questions hence the study was much dependent on
qualitative data. Data collected was analyzed using
content analysis and the interpretation of the results
was done through a narrative firm of presentation
where direct quotes from participants were included in
explaining results
Conclusion and
Recommendations
The study confirms the impact of online
communication on the general social, emotional and
moral competences of the different users especially the
young children. The study confirms that the increase in
the use of the internet has greatly affected the
strength of social relationships between different
groups of people and also supports the business
communications. In this case, most young people are
no longer attached to the real world but are greatly
attracted by the perceived realities of the virtual world.
Based on the fact that the different aspects of digital or
social media affect the social, emotional and moral
wellbeing of users especially the young, it is advisable
that educational institutions, parents or caretakers of
internet users focus on promoting self-respect among
young internet users. This should be in addition to
enhancing the emotional development, community
affiliation, creativity, and innovation of the different
young people involved in online interactions.
 THANK
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