Is Social Media Deteriorating Communication Standards

This is an age full of social media platforms & communication channels such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram to name a few. These platforms promise instant connection but do they provide a premise for standard meaningful communication. I remember that on Orkut or Facebook, people used to like a picture/post and comment on it, which later got reduced to a like with IG and now further only left to being “seen”. The sheer availability of these tools often prioritize speed over substance leading to a noticeable erosion of clarity, depth & formality, especially within the education sector.

Limitation in characters during messaging has reduced professionalism to shorthand, emojis & highly informal language. Attention span which has reduced to 30 sec reel, expects everyone to communicate their matter in 30 seconds. I believe that a certain level of professionalism is essential for effective learning & administration.

Let me share with you some very common examples of deteriorated state of communication standards.

1.      A formal application for leave written by the student has reduced to a one-line message by the parent to the teacher over the Whatsapp group.

2.      Details on student’s progress are now less discussed in person and more shown through crafted activity pictures posted on FB & IG.

3.      To keep the parents informed about the events, a yearly calendar is not enough. The school needs to send a monthly planner on LMS, Whatsapp group and then send a weekly reminder and sometimes even a day before reminders are expected.

4.      To share their inconvenience with the school, the parents don’t want to visit the schools anymore, they instead fill class Whatsapp groups with their ranting making it an agenda rather than an individual plight.

5.      Multi-channel environment creates cognitive overload on the teachers, students as well as parents. The volume of channels breeds confusion than clarity

The result is a communication breakdown because of which the main issues remain unidentified and unresolved.

Let’s understand the other effects-

1.      The social media & other communication platforms are not time bound and its two ways. So, the parents have an open portal to express their concerns any time they want and also expect the resolutions instantly. Is it possible for a teacher to do that every time? I don’t think so and I also don’t see a need unless the matter is really very urgent. The opposite of which is also true where teachers send last minute messages to parents asking for some stationery material to be sent next day.

2.      Internal Staff communication is affected as well. I have often seen head of the institutions messaging in staff groups post working hours. Any staff who does not respond is frowned upon. These groups are often used for reprimanding publicly.

3.      Data management is taken lightly and no focus is given on back up and storage of important documentations. The data is openly shared on Whatsapp and other platforms making it unsecured. When people leave the organisation, the data is lost with their connections.

4.      In a communication- body language counts for 55%, Tone of voice for 38% and words for 7%. While we are busy texting, we are missing out on the non-verbal cues which are so important in an effective communication. A text message is only a transmit of information.

5.      Now if the same communication networks are used with students, they become less adept to active listening, conflict resolutions & other soft skills which are vital for their future professions. Our students are becoming unaccustomed to talking face to face. And precisely why we all find our students hesitating from even wishing us “Good Morning” or even looking in the eye while talking.

The solutions lie in understanding that these plethora of platforms has not enriched our communication; it has diluted it. Especially for education sector, this deterioration is leading to lost professional writing, fragmented information, confusion and deficiency in essential interpersonal skills. The solution is not abandonment of technology but to be more intentional and disciplined in its use. Educators need to teach the value of structured, thoughtful & articulate communication whether delivered in a formal email, an announcement or direct interaction so as to truly connect and convey effectively.

Nandita Prakash

Education Advisor