Pros and cons of online communication. Will it replace real contacts?

The 21st century is a time of widespread communication and data exchange. It is no coincidence that many call it the age of information technology. A lot of material appeared on various topics. Information has become so accessible as never before.

Now, in order to transmit it, there is no need to maintain a staff of messengers or organize complex logistics routes. You just need to provide the technical component of this issue and transfer all the data in a matter of seconds between continents.

People exchange thoughts everywhere: at home, on public transport, on the street, at school and at work. Age doesn't matter: even children can record voice messages. Has this virtual communication really practically replaced real communication for people? Is this bad? The answers to these and many other questions are contained in this article.

The virtual world has replaced reality

A very popular opinion among some people is that the virtual world has completely replaced reality for humanity: everyone experiences life only through the Internet, meets in instant messengers, and gets married on social networks. Is it really?

Objectively, no. Those who believe otherwise are exaggerating. There is no catastrophe in the fact that people have begun to use the achievements of science more often, although this is difficult for many to accept.

They still walk in parks and swim in the sea, chat in cafes and go to theaters and cinema, and those who did not do this before behaved this way not at all because of the presence of the Internet and social networks, but because of the characteristics of their personality . In a person’s life, both virtual and real communication should take place.

Perhaps someday modern civilization will really stop communicating without the use of gadgets and technical devices, but these times will definitely not come in the near future.

After all, being athletic and socially active is now in fashion, and these parameters cannot be met by living only through virtual communication.

But it is an indisputable fact that most people on this planet have their own email address, an account in some messenger or social network. Thanks to these technological advances, subjects can participate in virtual communication chats.

This has not yet acquired catastrophic proportions, as has already been written, but it still occupies a significant part in people’s lives. What are the advantages of this? What are the disadvantages?

Features of virtual communication

The Internet has firmly entered people's lives, being not only a source of information, but also a means of communication. Computer communication has a number of features in comparison with real communication. These features include the following:

— expanding the possibilities and boundaries of communication, since interlocutors can be found in all countries of the world;

- both partners in the communication process are in their usual living space, using various methods of transmitting information;

— virtual communication is mainly carried out in written form (chat, e-mail), which makes it possible to improve skills in writing;

— in addition to improving language knowledge, communication participants receive information about the partner’s personality about his views on the world around him,

— virtual communication is carried out in the form of oral messages or emails;

— messaging allows you to improve the ability to understand written text, which is accompanied, if necessary, by explanations from a native speaker of the language being studied. Regular exchange of emails during virtual communication allows you to improve your writing skills and abilities, enriches your vocabulary, expands your sociocultural competence and horizons, and improves your Internet skills.

No limits

If we talk about what makes the Internet so popular with humanity, it is the availability of a large amount of free information. It can also be used to communicate anywhere and with anyone. Definitely so.

Thanks to technology, you no longer need to wait for a letter from St. Petersburg to arrive in Moscow, and the answer will reach the recipient days, or maybe weeks, later. Just press the “send” button and days and weeks turn into seconds. The same applies to communication between Paris and Moscow, Vladivostok and New York, etc.

Only temporary boundaries remain, but they still will not be able to force the inhabitants of the planet to stop communicating with each other from different hemispheres.

This brings great benefits not only to ordinary people who can communicate with their relatives from distant countries, but also to businessmen who can exchange useful information at any time and in an unlimited amount.

This plus allows an individual to learn foreign languages with the help of their native speakers. Finding a conversation partner from the UK or US to better understand spoken English is very easy in the 21st century. You just need to go to the desired site.

Opportunities and risks

Interpersonal communication - what is it?
With the current level of technological progress, it will not be possible to give up devices. With the right approach, virtual communication only brings benefits.

Thanks to thematic chats, you can easily find friends with similar interests who will share hobbies. For example, fans of one writer always have something to discuss.

Virtual connections can be used to improve professional skills. Using the Internet, specialists contact each other, exchange knowledge and best practices.

Important! Many companies use instant messengers for internal communication.

Thanks to the Internet, dating all over the world is becoming available. A person can communicate with people from other countries and improve their knowledge of a foreign language. People can negotiate temporary residence.

At the same time, the Internet carries certain risks. In the virtual space, anyone can try on any personality, this gives a lot of scope for fraud. So they can demand money, come up with sob stories, etc.

Another disadvantage of online communication is the inability to check the interlocutor, especially for dating sites. No one guarantees that meeting a new acquaintance will be safe.

Availability

In developed and many developing countries, the Internet has long ceased to be something special. Almost every citizen has it and its availability is beyond doubt. Yes, in some countries it is more expensive than in others, but in general almost everyone can afford the Internet.

Software manufacturers, seeing such developments in technology, began to release free programs for virtual communication. This is how many popular instant messengers appeared that allow you to communicate online for free.

This is much more profitable than paying for mobile communications, which, apparently, will very soon be completely replaced by Internet communications: free and affordable.

Large companies are actively working in this direction. Google, for example, has long been developing a project for worldwide free Wi-Fi coverage. While this may not be very relevant for Japan or South Korea, this innovation can bring enormous benefits to many regions of Russia and all other countries of the world where there are hard-to-reach territories.

Moreover, where there is Wi-Fi, there is also a regular connection, so if this project is successful, there may be a chance to call someone in the Central Federal District of the Russian Federation from the taiga zone or from an airplane over the Pacific Ocean to Thailand.

Pros and cons of online communication

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First of all, let’s find out how a conversation via a computer or telephone can be useful:

An opportunity to make acquaintances with people who suffer from complexes, fears, and shyness. Thus, some manage to find life partners.
You only communicate with those you want. There is no point in being a hypocrite and tolerating the presence of unpleasant people.
There is an opportunity to thoughtfully and competently formulate your thoughts.
At the same time, you can search for any information on the Internet and look smarter to your interlocutor than you are.
In a critical situation, you simply interrupt communication, blacklist the person and forget about his existence.
Regular typing on the keyboard develops fine motor skills.

Communication on the Internet apparently has many positive aspects. But there are still more negative ones.

Nothing can replace live communication. Along with virtual friends, there must also be real ones.

Having determined the advantages for ourselves, let’s consider the disadvantages of Internet communication:

You cannot see the reaction of the interlocutor during correspondence. This significantly reduces the quality of communication.
Everyone has the opportunity to think and abandon their initial thoughts. Sincerity and emotionality are lost.
Looking into a person's eyes, we subconsciously read a large amount of information about him. You can't do this by looking at a computer screen.
Even numerous emoticons are not able to make a message come alive.
Speech quality suffers. Having become accustomed to abbreviating words when corresponding, a person carries this into life.
It often happens that we send our very personal messages, photos, videos to the wrong address.
Online dating is often a complete disappointment. A person tries to show only his best sides, to embellish himself.
Young people who prefer virtual life often experience fear of real people, and they develop a lot of complexes.

Mothers of teenagers can say a lot about the pros and cons of online communication. Children feel free on the World Wide Web. Many of their misdeeds go unpunished, which strengthens their self-confidence. This behavior carries over into the real world, where crimes have to be answered.

Like-minded people

This positive aspect of virtual interaction follows from the two described above. In fact, thanks to the Internet, anyone can communicate with anyone. Accordingly, the chance of meeting someone with similar views on life or on a specific situation in the country or the world increases dramatically.

Communication with a virtual friend makes it possible to express your point of view. After all, it is much easier and more productive to do this with an audience that shares your views. Many people don’t need more from life: it’s important to be heard and that’s all. It is virtual communication on the Internet that significantly contributes to this.

What is virtual communication and what is its peculiarity?

Communication on the Internet is a fairly young phenomenon and, as you might guess, it appeared at about the same time when access to the World Wide Web became practically universal and computers, and then smartphones with Internet access, appeared in almost every home.

The most common and popular method of virtual communication is correspondence . Today there is a huge variety of websites and portals designed for people from all over the planet to meet, communicate, start relationships, exchange various life experiences, or, for example, help each other study a particular topic (learning foreign languages through conversations with native speakers - one of the most popular types of communication for educational purposes).

On dating sites, social networks, instant messengers and chat rooms, people can have conversations with each other, look for friends and even their soulmate.

However, communication in virtual space is not limited only to text. With the development of computer technology, it has become possible, having a webcam or a mobile device equipped with a camera, to make video calls and communicate with people living hundreds and thousands of kilometers away.

Also gaining popularity is a method of interaction on the Internet, such as communication while playing . There are a great variety of online games that are played by millions of gamers from all over the world. This is a great way to make friends with whom you have common interests, and also, if the game is foreign, to develop English (or any other) language skills.

Convenience

The convenience of this method of communication between individuals is that each subscriber has the opportunity to think through all the information received and respond to it. Of course, this is not relevant for video communication, which is practically no different from live communication. But this applies to people who prefer to exchange thoughts through emails and messages.

True, this advantage also has a downside, which is described in detail below.

Problems of virtual communication

Most manipulations of information in the information society occur through interactive forms of interaction and influence, since this significantly speeds up the processes of obtaining and processing it. Thus, live communication is devalued, turning into virtual, profitable and accessible, allowing you to simultaneously process multiple information flows in the shortest possible time.

Virtual communication includes new sign systems, forming a new language of the information society. The new system of signs acts as a means of communication on the network and also manages information flows. Through virtual language, Internet users express themselves and transmit important information.

The individual’s virtual “I” is realized and exists through speech, which has the following characteristics: situational, incomplete, in contrast to everyday speech; the ability to communicate with several people. By communicating with several Internet users at once, an individual may feel successful, but in the future this may have a negative role in communication.

Virtual and real communication have a significant difference. When communicating virtually, Internet users pay attention to the interlocutor’s horizons, intelligence, humor, and ability to conduct a conversation; they “complete” the images to their liking and endow them with non-existent qualities.

The main problem with virtual dating is that the longer people communicate on the Internet, the more discrepancies there will be in their images. If in the future Internet users plan to continue acquaintances in life, then psychologists advise not to delay virtual communication and transfer it to real communication as quickly as possible. However, this does not guarantee against disappointments, disappointed expectations and discrepancies between ideas and real images.

End of dialogue

In virtual communication online, interlocutors are equal to each other, so everyone has the same rights. Although there are rules of decency, there will be nothing terrible if someone interrupts someone else’s message with their message, the thread of the story will not be lost. This same fact gives each forum participant the right to end the dialogue at any time.

You don’t have to find a witty statement for some taunt, don’t try to get out of it by avoiding answering the question, but simply stop communicating without explanation. Of course, the consequences of such behavior may not be the most pleasant, but the fact is a fact.

Rules of communication

You can find a friend, interlocutor, partner online. There is a kind of etiquette on the Internet that allows people to interact with each other.

The banal address “You” does not lose its relevance in the virtual space

The peculiarity of a contact on social networks is to write in detail. It is difficult to respond to messages in the form of emoticons or monosyllabic words. Therefore, when speaking, you should try to write in detail so that the interlocutor can better understand the meaning of what was said.

If the interlocutor prefers to use a fictitious name, then you should not try to find out his real data. You can receive training in various subjects online; if it is provided by a teacher, then he is treated in the same way as a real tutor: they are called by name and patronymic.

Also, certain interest groups may have their own rules of communication. For example, in some environments it is customary to always use feminists. Their absence will cause a negative reaction. Also in one area, words may have their own definition, it is better to know them so that others can understand what is written.

In general, standard rules of politeness should be followed when communicating online. In this case, any contact can have a good development prospect. On dating sites, you don’t need to start with vulgarities or insults, such behavior will only push you away.

If a person cannot communicate with anyone on the Internet, then he should think about whether he is doing everything right. If among his potential interlocutors there are no those who decided to continue interaction, then the matter is clearly not about them.

Virtual communication is a great way to make friends all over the world, but at the same time, the Internet poses a certain danger. For example, you can spend many hours talking with a girl, not knowing that under her guise there is a man hiding.

When communicating online, it is not necessary to write entire essays in messages. It is enough to answer a question in detail or tell a story. As in the case of real interaction, a person needs to train the skill of contacting on the Internet.

Communication failures occur in the virtual space

To communicate online, you can use different means of maintaining a conversation: look for common topics for discussion, offer something new, watch a movie together or play games. For example, you can send a girl a link to an article and ask her opinion.

Self-esteem

Virtual communication is not only about exchanging text and voice messages, as well as video. This is also the formation of a certain rating in the form of likes, reposts and comments. The capabilities of social networks and instant messengers are such that people in them can present themselves from any position.

For example, a timid person can show himself as brave, a strong person as weak, etc. Nobody will stop them from doing this.

The most interesting thing is that the Internet audience often does not take information very seriously and in most cases believes what they are trying to convince them of. Because of this, people develop an inadequate self-esteem that does not correspond to reality.

Advantages and disadvantages

Verbal communication - what is it in psychology
? The advantage of Internet communication is the ability to quickly find friends with similar interests. For example, collectors of stamps, coins or antiques. Online you can communicate in different languages, this allows you to improve your skills.

Some people like the fact that it is easier to remain anonymous online. You can call yourself by any name and openly discuss your problems. If desired, a person is looking for his love: meet girls on special sites and in the application.

Another plus is that there is no need to invest financially. For such interaction, you only need a technical device and an Internet connection. With real communication, you will have to go to different events, buy gifts, etc.

The disadvantage of virtual communication is that without non-verbal means it is impossible to understand the true feelings of another person. This impoverishes contact and complicates it.

When communicating virtually, it is not always possible to find out the real identity of the user

There are many scammers online, and you can become their victim. Sometimes people spend too much time on the Internet and deprive themselves of normal interaction.

Loss of face-to-face communication skills

Be that as it may, live communication is here to stay. If a person completely devotes himself to virtual interaction, forgetting about the realities, he risks forgetting how to communicate normally with people, and this is a very important skill, without which it is impossible not only to travel or get a job, but also to simply buy food or clothes in a store.

Afterword

To summarize, I would like to say that I am for a combination of real and virtual communication. Technological progress must be used, but done wisely. For example, you can discuss something with a friend in the evening and agree that when you meet in person, everything will finally become clear.

As is often the case, the problem of Internet communication has two sides. You can’t evaluate it based on “good/bad” criteria. It is not the fact of virtual communication itself that is important, but the essence of this communication and the parties involved. You can communicate with interesting people and realize yourself, or you can simply “kill time”, run away from yourself, creating the illusion of life and communication.

Therefore, it is impossible to judge risks without knowing the specific context. In the article, I conditionally divided the facts about Internet communication into pros and cons, but, as you probably noticed, each of them has two extremes: the advantage and disadvantage of communication within the World Wide Web.

Will virtual communication replace real communication? Maybe. Is it good? No. Man is a social being, communication is an independent activity and an integral element of many types of activities. Without real, emotionally charged communication, we cannot develop and become a person, a person, an individual.

Virtual communication is, to a certain extent, deprivation. On the Internet, we communicate not with people, but with their images (compiled by them or us), a repeatedly processed surrogate of personality. Real communication is more complex, there are higher risks of offense and conflict, there is not always a chance for error and the opportunity to be imperfect, yourself, but it is much more interesting and useful.

Virtual communication is becoming more and more popular every year. Messengers and social networks are an integral part of life. Psychologists have ambivalent assessments of the process of interaction via the Internet.

Virtual connections help you find not only friends, but also a partner

Negative impact on development

It is worth paying attention to the difference between standard letters and messages on the Internet:

You need to be able to write them. People, knowing that their letter can take weeks to reach the recipient and that they can wait just as long for an answer, try to pay maximum attention to both the information content and the beauty of the writing in one message. If you study the letters of educated people of the 18th century, then, out of ignorance, they can be mistaken for chapters of literary works. Virtual communication is a form of interaction that has devalued this skill. The text is sent in seconds and there is no need to think about how to place all the information in one message, because you can always send the second, third, tenth and twentieth.
They develop thinking. Formulating thoughts to transfer them to paper develops the parts of the brain responsible for memory and intellectual activity. Pressing buttons on the keyboard does not have this effect.

This is why it is important not to forget about real communication. At least in letter format. In addition, paper messages are very pleasant to receive.

This, by the way, is the other side of the comfort that virtual information exchange provides.

Psychological perception of Internet communication

Psychologists identify several personality types that predominate on the Internet. However, the classification presented below is valid primarily for all spheres of human life, and not just for virtual communication.

Here are the four types you might find:

Visuals. They perceive the surrounding reality and virtual reality mainly visually.
Auditory learners. They have a developed and dominant auditory system.
Kinesthetics. They prefer touch and do not prefer virtual communication to live communication.
Digitals. They are guided by the logic of things, objects and phenomena as such.

Visuals in the context of online communication are characterized by:

perception of virtual paintings through images;
desire for gestures, craving for it (they prefer communication in video format);
willing interaction with graphic information (viewing photos, videos).

Auditory learners are characterized by:

love for recording and listening to voice messages;
demanding of your own speech and the speech of your interlocutors;
good auditory memory;
love for listening to music on social networks and other platforms.

Kinesthetic skills in the context of online communication are characterized by:

a tendency to use phrases with a pronounced emotional connotation. Example: “I am delighted (delighted)”;
desire for physical contact, which is why I don’t prefer to communicate online;
restlessness and emotionality (they react sharply to criticism, various events, willingly join in conversations).

Digital in the context of virtual communication:

rarely show emotions, avoid discussions, rarely comment on publications;
plan online behavior;
They prefer meaningful conversations with intelligent interlocutors to empty chatter.

What is the most significant advantage of virtual communication?

Destruction of geographical boundaries. This is really cool.

An opportunity to overcome complexes and fears. Why not use the Internet for this?

33.33%

Of course, business. Thanks to the network, I myself was able to become a successful businessman.

33.33%

I don’t know, you can look for pros and cons in everything and everywhere.

33.33%

Voted: 3

Wasting time

It seems that online communication is a great way to save time, although in fact it often turns out differently: a dialogue begins that lasts fifteen minutes, but it ends in an hour and a half, because neither party is limited in conveying information. One topic can quickly give way to a second, a second to a third, and on all this an important resource, perhaps allocated for other matters, is wasted.

This is how Internet addiction is formed, which from harmless forms turns into a real disease, the result of which is not days or months wasted, but entire years of life.

It is worth remembering that time is priceless and you should not waste it endlessly scrolling through the news feed on Vkontakte or watching videos on YouTube. Of course, no one is forcing you to give up this completely, but it is better to devote a minimum of time to such things, devoting the remaining free hours to more useful things: work, organizing a business, reading books, walking with friends, going to the cinema, playing sports, traveling.

Virtual communication: advantages and disadvantages of online contacts

Nowadays it is difficult to imagine the life of a contemporary without the Internet. Today, the World Wide Web is the most popular and convenient source of information. The global network firmly connects people across all continents and countries. At the same time, many people prefer virtual communication. The rapid development of computer technology has radically changed the habits of not only intelligent humans, but also automated ones. For most of our contemporaries, it is much more convenient to send a free instant message, use voice communication or make a video call on Skype than to travel several kilometers to resolve some issue in person. Some people even replace natural live interaction with contacts on social networks, preferring to communicate in virtual space. They are so captivated by virtual communication that they forget all the benefits and charm of real interaction in society. Virtual communication: features of communication over the Internet

Why is communication in virtual space so seductive?
Online contacts greatly simplify the interaction process. To implement them, a person needs to put in significantly less psychological and mental effort. Online communication has a number of features compared to the process of verbal communication between people. Aspect 1. Writing instead of oral communication Communication in virtual space in most cases takes place in written form. We write emails, post comments on forums, share ideas in chat, send messages on social networks. An undoubted advantage of correspondence on the Internet is the ability to correct the compiled text. In virtual correspondence, the word is not a sparrow that cannot be caught after departure. A simple hand movement - pressing delete, using the hints received from the virtual editor allows you to correct errors and eliminate mistakes. This feature of virtual communication allows a person to feel much more comfortable and educated. We don’t have to, as in a conversation, delve into our vocabulary and carefully select appropriate phrases. At the same time, if you want to especially show off your intelligence in front of your interlocutor, wander around the Internet and copy a couple of brilliant quotes. Accordingly, by communicating in virtual space, we can appear before the audience as smarter and more enlightened people. We don’t need to strain our brains unnecessarily, so less effort and energy is spent on the process of virtual communication. Aspect 2. Absence of boundaries in communication The undoubted advantage of the Internet is the complete absence of spatial boundaries. Our interaction online is not limited by the boundaries of our personal home, hometown and country. We are able to make acquaintances, establish contacts and communicate with people located absolutely anywhere in the world. This is an invaluable advantage for people whose relatives or friends are located in another part of the world. This is very convenient for those who need to find new business partners or regularly contact business travelers. Virtual communication is remarkable because most correspondence services are completely free. Therefore, unlike mobile communications, communication in the virtual space does not create an additional financial burden for a person. Therefore, you can forget that your interlocutor is located in another corner of the planet at a distance of thousands of kilometers. Virtual communication: the benefits of online contacts
Communication in the virtual space offers a person a number of significant advantages.
Let us describe some aspects in more detail. Plus 1. A chance to find like-minded people. Navigating the Internet helps you make new acquaintances and significantly expand your social circle. The World Wide Web gathers people into various interest groups in which the user can obtain useful and necessary information. Communication online helps not only to unlock your potential, but also to discover unknown facets of your personality. A huge advantage of the virtual space is the ease of establishing new contacts and making friends with similar interests, which is much more difficult to do in real life. Plus 2. Comfort Interaction over the Internet takes place in a comfortable environment for the user. And native land promotes psychological calm and lack of nervous tension. A huge advantage of “meetings” in the virtual space is the fact that a person does not have to strain himself when choosing the appropriate decoration for the upcoming meeting. A person can lounge in a comfortable chair, dressed in warm pajamas, and conduct a successful dialogue with a respectable business partner. Plus 3. Communication without complexes Virtual communication is an excellent chance for a modest and shy person who in reality is afraid of speaking in public. Communication using computer technology allows you to cast aside fears and doubts, appearing before the audience in a completely different image. On the global network, no one demands to show your true face and present your passport. Therefore, each subject can play the role that he has chosen for himself. Plus 4. No time restrictions The World Wide Web opens up enormous prospects for those who have a non-standard life schedule and are forced to stay awake at night. There are no time restrictions on the global network. You can browse websites and chat on the forum at any time of the day. There is no bad weather on the Internet that prevents you from going to a meeting. Communication in virtual space is an ideal option for those who suffer from insomnia and want to make good use of their forced wakefulness. Plus 5. The ability to put an end to the dialogue at any time During face-to-face communication, it is not always possible to interrupt the conversation if the topic of the conversation is unpleasant or the interlocutor gets on your nerves. The Internet has a clear advantage: the user can put an end to the dialogue at any time and brush off the annoying interlocutor. When interacting with the network, a careless subordinate can always ignore the orders of his boss. A flighty guy may not respond to messages from a girl who is in love with him, or place her messages in the spam folder. That is, the Internet gives a person the opportunity to take full control of the communication process, to start and end a dialogue at his own discretion. Virtual communication: disadvantages of online contacts
Most users are so carried away by communicating in the virtual space that they simply do not notice the dangers of browsing on the Internet.
Let's look at the obvious disadvantages of virtual communication. Minus 1. Formation of inadequate self-esteem An overly enthusiastic user forms an opinion about himself based on the compliments he receives – “likes”. If such virtual rewards turn out to be less than expected, a person may experience a real nervous breakdown. Without seeing the required number of “likes” under a photo or note, a person may fall into black melancholy, believing that she is a worthless and unnecessary creature. There is also a natural opposite. Social network stars, popular bloggers, and top-rated YouTubers consider themselves almost the navel of the universe. Such people who have acquired authority on the global network, but have not backed it up in real life, develop extremely inflated self-esteem, which is fraught with serious problems in everyday life. Minus 2. Loss of communication skills If a person constantly sits on forum sites or actively corresponds on social networks, he gradually loses the skills of face-to-face communication with people. She forgets what secrets verbal communication has, loses the ability to convey the meaning of what is said with intonation, and to reinforce the topic being presented with gestures and facial expressions. As a result, during contacts in the real world, such a person feels “out of place.” Conversations with even the closest people make him feel uncomfortable. It is easier for such a person to send a VKontakte message to a relative sitting next to her than to say her thoughts out loud. It is very difficult for an avid computer user to understand the desires and needs of others, because due to the habit of communicating virtually, he does not feel the psychological characteristics of other people. Minus 3. Loss of time It happens that Internet users become so immersed in virtual space that they simply don’t notice how quickly time flies. Indeed, the World Wide Web is an insatiable time eater that steals time for rest, education, sports and self-care. There are certain types who sit in front of a computer monitor for days on end and simply do not know what time it is. Often, browsing on popular websites and chatting on social networks leads to the fact that the addicted person forgets to eat on time and stops taking care of her appearance. Minus 4. Harm to health Traveling on the Internet is very exciting and significantly excites the human nervous system. Excessive gatherings in the virtual space initiate a variety of neurotic disorders. The person becomes irritable, restless, and aggressive. It is very difficult for a passionate user to fall asleep after working on the computer for many hours. Monitor glare and frequent changes of bright pictures have a negative impact on the organs of vision. As a result, a person's intraocular pressure increases and vision deteriorates over time. Minus 5. Existing in a fictional world instead of living in reality Some users are so carried away by traveling through the virtual world that they feel out of place in the real world. Indeed, existence in a fictional world is much more comfortable and convenient for a person. On the Internet, serious problems rarely arise and obstacles that are difficult to overcome are encountered. Over time, a passionate user begins to freak out from the realities of everyday life, trying to quickly find himself in his protected and safe Internet world. This leads to the person becoming a voluntary social outcast and unable to fully interact in society. Minus 6. Loss of the ability to compromise What is so attractive about virtual communication, why are contacts with other users so valuable? The thing is that interaction online does not imply the presence of any mutual obligations. A person acts as he wants and is comfortable, regardless of the point of view of others. Users are guided by the rule: if I don’t like the author’s point of view, I won’t rack my brains and read the article on another site. I can’t build a conversation in some community, I’ll just leave this group and move to a more pleasant company. That is, a person loses the ability to take into account the opinions of others, to make concessions, he does not strive for compromise. As a result, he becomes an authoritarian dictator in reality, from whom those around him run away like the plague. Minus 7. Victim of scams On the Internet we communicate not with a specific person, but with his image. And clever scammers can create the image that is necessary to gain trust. We expect that we are corresponding with an adequate and responsive person, but when checked, he turns out to be a swindler and a swindler. Having established a trusting relationship with a naive user, it is not difficult for an experienced swindler to find out the information he requires. In this case, not only the direct victim of the scam may suffer, but also his relatives or friends. Minus 8. Failure of hopes Another obvious drawback of virtual communication, from which lonely people often suffer. The person believes that he is corresponding with a handsome, young and wealthy man. And, accordingly, he makes some plans for a joint future. But in fact, what appears before her is a disgusting old freak who does not have a penny of money, but passionately wants to satisfy his lust. After such discoveries, many young people fall into prolonged depression, and often lose the meaning of life altogether. Minus 9. Development of addiction While an enthusiastic user of VKontakte or Facebook wanders through the pages of his friends, he does not notice how his life flies by. Statistics say that a mature person spends an average of half an hour on social networks, while children and teenagers correspond for more than 3 hours. This risks the person developing pathological dependence over time - an abnormal condition similar to drug addiction. To feel comfortable, an addicted person must log into a social network. It is worth noting that with computer addiction, a person may experience withdrawal syndrome, which is as painful as alcohol withdrawal. Instead of an afterword
Thus, communication in virtual space is an invariable component of the life of a contemporary. Computer technologies open up a lot of perspectives for people, make it easier to find information and help brighten up their leisure time. However, excessive enthusiasm for virtual communication leads to a change in personality and a terrible mismatch of the psyche.

Unjustified hopes

Every actor in the network can be anyone. On the one hand, this is good for increasing self-esteem, on the other hand, it is bad for those who believe it. There is a high chance of being deceived.

To better understand this negative aspect of virtual communication, it is worth considering the following example. The girl met a young man on a social network, where he showed himself to be confident, witty and resourceful, thanks to which he was able to meet her in reality.

Arriving on a date, she met someone completely different from what she was expecting: a complex and not at all so bright guy who cannot put two words together in her presence.

As a result, a waste of time and a bad mood due to unjustified hopes.

Rules of communication on the Internet

There are a number of rules that must be followed when communicating electronically. At the same time, it does not matter to whom you write and on what issue.

Forums, various communities, games, websites have their own rules of communication.

Read them before starting work to avoid problems:

Remember the rules of good manners. Address your interlocutor as "you".
Nobody likes obsessiveness. If your message or comment remains unanswered, please be patient. Perhaps the person is very busy and will write to you later.
If you run your own blog, try to answer questions as quickly as possible. Perhaps for some they are of great importance.
When entering a discussion, do not stoop to insults.
It is prohibited to publish information from personal letters in the public domain.
For sending spam you will be blocked or blacklisted.
Rules of communication on the Internet advise us to re-read letters before sending. You can correct mistakes, remove or add something.
Don't put your whole life on display. Personal information and photographs may fall into the hands of scammers.
There are a lot of beautiful words in the Russian language. Try not to shorten them. It's disrespectful and ugly.
Avoid pathos and negativity.
Try not to clutter your social media feed with information on only one topic. If you value the number of subscribers, then be more diverse.
Technical terms and little-known vocabulary are not suitable for correspondence with friends and subscribers. When communicating with you, a person should not feel uncomfortable and look for every word in the dictionary.
Do not go offline while communicating. No one will like this habit. You will get the same effect if you frequently reload the page.
Communicate with other people the way you would like to be communicated with you.

Knowing how to communicate online will help you transfer this experience into real life. To avoid experiencing all the disadvantages of virtual life, limit your time behind the monitor. When meeting with loved ones and friends, keep your mobile phones in your bags, try to look into them less often. Live communication brings people together and makes life brighter.

Scammers

Again, on the Internet, all individuals can wear any mask, which is often used by scammers. There are often stories in which a girl met a young man through a social network, started dating, and he eventually deceived her and robbed her.

There are countless examples of defrauded customers of non-existent online stores.

That is why when communicating online you should be wary, do not give away money and do not trust unverified persons.

History of virtual networks

Many popular sites that are in demand today on the Internet, especially for communication, were once created by “pioneers” for work or to unite people of similar interests. A striking domestic example is the social network VKontakte. Pavel Durov, its creator, and his “colleagues” conceived the site as a tool that would provide an opportunity to communicate online for students of the higher educational institution where he studied to solve various educational problems. Today, only marketers, public relations specialists and other specialists conduct professional communication on the site: VKontakte has long become a means of communication and finding old and new acquaintances.

If we talk in general about all virtual networks, it should be emphasized: the first resources on the network were created exclusively for solving business problems, and not for publishing pictures with cats and communication. In this context, the ARFANET network, developed by the United States Department of Defense exclusively for military purposes, is worth considering. There was no talk about communication in it.

Bottom line

A certain number of people insist that online communication only brings harm, while another part is sure of the opposite. In fact, there are both pros and cons of virtual communication. The truth, as always, lies somewhere in the middle.

Virtual communication is a way of exchanging information, which has both positive (saving time, the ability to quickly convey information, self-realization, finding like-minded people) and negative aspects (Internet addiction, fraud, unjustified expectations).

Everything depends only on the individual: if he does not know how to properly manage his time, has no goals in life and has a poor understanding of people, then Internet communication will most likely bring him harm rather than benefit.

If he effectively manages his personal resources, does not trust everyone he meets and is engaged in self-development, then the Internet can become an assistant for him in many areas of activity.

Disadvantages of virtual communication

Virtual communication gives a person success in information management issues, and, therefore, supports this individual at an optimal level, but often endows him with a poverty of language due to the degradation of the underdevelopment of linguistic forms.

The Internet is often a person’s favorite pastime at work. In this case, we mean a parallel process when an employee of a company or organization, while doing his job, thinks about his favorite forum and the latest topic posted on the resource. Working days, being a routine, attract a person to the Internet, where communication appears as exciting, interesting, giving new meanings to existence. Thus, the Internet occupies all the attention of the individual and influences the person’s personality in shaping his consciousness.

Virtual communication is now increasingly drawing people into its networks, who then stop communicating with each other in reality. In the high-tech age, people do not want to tear themselves away from their gadgets, so real opportunities for dating are becoming less and less and more preference is given to dating on the Internet. Previously, they used other opportunities to meet: they met in the library, visiting friends, at dances, in clubs, in transport, on the street.

Currently, not only young people resort to computer communication, but also family people who are far from young and become active Internet users. Often, the category of family people gets carried away by chatting, where they not only get to know each other, communicate, but also flirt, without considering it cheating.

Virtual communication and love on the Internet is a game that exists only in the human mind. For one person, such a game is an attempt to avoid loneliness, but for another, it is just another form of entertainment. Rarely does virtual love go beyond the computer and become real, but if such cases do occur, they are rare. Virtual communication between a man and a woman changes people emotionally and mentally. By voluntarily depriving oneself of communication in real life, a person misses the opportunity to experience real feelings.

The disadvantages of virtual communication are that without seeing facial expressions, eyes, or hearing the intonation of the voice, it is impossible to determine the shortcomings of the interlocutor. When communicating on the Internet, people create an ideal image of their interlocutor, inventing qualities for him that he rarely possesses in reality, since communication by correspondence allows you to recognize your interlocutor only 3%.

With Internet communication, there is mutual influence, information exchange, empathy, mutual assessment, the formation of views, beliefs, character, and intelligence.

Virtual communication is a special world in which an individual can be either himself or someone else, while not being afraid to express his feelings, emotions, doing incredible things and not being afraid to regret it. The anonymity inherent in Internet communication gives a sense of security and protects from disappointment, allows you to experiment with your image, while real life can be perceived as a source of resentment, pain, disappointment and be filled with fears.

The problem with virtual communication is that during the period of personality formation, a child spends all his free time at the computer. Many adults do not find time to take care of their own children, so initially the computer is a real salvation for them, since the child stays at home and is always engaged. Meanwhile, virtual dependence on communication is akin to alcohol or drug addiction, which cannot be ignored.

Signs of computer addiction in adolescents include the following manifestations:

- an obsessive constant need to look through incoming messages, even if no one should write;

- spending a long time in front of a computer monitor;

- a constant strong desire to discuss your every step with friends, posting new photos;

— for an Internet-addicted young man, it is important how many people visited his page and how they commented on his updates;

— communication with friends occurs only through a social network;

- a feeling of terrible disappointment if there is no way to get to a social network page.

What does this mean? Adolescents' passion for virtual communication can lead to the fact that they stop noticing people, relatives, as well as their problems, becoming irresponsible. Over time, the real world will cease to exist completely for them.

Advantages of Internet communications

Perhaps the main advantage of virtual communication is the ability to contact people who are located at fairly large distances . Skype, Facebook, various instant messengers and other social networks allow us to stay in touch with friends and relatives living in other cities and countries.
In addition, communicating on the Internet is an excellent chance to make acquaintances with citizens of foreign countries , study their culture and language, as well as gain new experiences and impressions.
In the vastness of the World Wide Web, it is much easier to find like-minded people and people with whom you have common interests . This is especially useful if there are no friends or interesting personalities in your immediate circle with whom you would like to make friends, or if you do not have the opportunity to make acquaintances in reality (for example, due to illness). Thus, the Internet helps to be included in social communications, even if it is not possible to physically interact with society for one reason or another.
Virtual communication is a real salvation for shy , timid and reserved individuals, for whom meeting people on the street or at work can be problematic due to the characteristics of their character and psyche. But quiet people can easily support a conversation in a chat or conference and even become the soul of a virtual company.
Another feature of communication on the Internet is the ability to stop communicating with a person you don’t like . And you won’t have to explain the reasons for your actions, make excuses, or tolerate an annoying or unpleasant interlocutor - you just need to log out.
In some cases, during a conversation with a virtual interlocutor, we become more sincere and can say more about ourselves than if we were communicating with a real person. The stranger at the other end of the cable does not know us, which means he will not spill secrets and innermost secrets to those around us.

Positive and negative aspects of online communication - video

Modern society can no longer imagine its existence without the Internet, because it gives us so many opportunities. With the help of the World Wide Web, we can look for a job, keep in touch with friends, create online stores, buy all kinds of goods, find out the latest news and much more. The most interesting thing is that we can also find our love on the Internet. Many people have high hopes for the World Wide Web when it comes to dating. Let's look at the pros and cons of communicating on the Internet.

The advantages of communicating on the Internet

There is an opportunity to increase your circle of acquaintances. Any person has his own certain established circle of acquaintances and close people in whose society he exists. This, of course, is family, close friends, workmates or fellow students at the institute. We hardly meet each other on the street. In this case, the Internet comes to the rescue. Here you can find friends, acquaintances with similar interests, or just have a good time.
The Internet is liberating. A lot of people in real life, due to their natural modesty, are afraid or simply cannot meet the opposite sex. And then the Internet comes to their aid, where they can relax and not engage in live communication until real mutual interest arises from correspondence. Social networks liberate people. Here he can communicate with several people at once and choose the person closest in spirit.
We increase self-esteem. Nowadays, many people tend to post their photos on social networks. Everyone is waiting for cherished likes and comments on their photos. It’s so nice to receive a compliment from your friends or just strangers. This really improves our self-esteem.
We find what we need. In real life, we are usually not as sincere as in virtual life. Here we can directly talk about our desires and preferences. There are people who are not looking for a serious relationship on the Internet, but honestly state their desire to simply have a good time on neutral territory. In other words, some people only want sex without commitment. And someone, on the contrary, is looking for a serious relationship, and simply does not consider other options. Thus, on the Internet everyone finds what they are looking for and does not waste their time on fruitless communication in real life.
There are no obstacles in time and distance. Of course, this is a big plus. We can easily communicate with a person who is on the other side of the earth thousands of kilometers away from us.

Conclusion

Thus, virtual communication has both many advantages and serious disadvantages. You should be careful when choosing an online interlocutor and still not replace real communication with digital communication.

Sources used:

https://psychologist.tips/2417-plyusy-i-minusy-internet-obshheniya-zamenit-li-ono-realnye-kontakty.html
https://srazu.pro/socializacia/virtualnoe-obshhenie.html
https://mind-control.ru/obshhenie-i-vliyanie/plyusy-i-minus-internet-obshheniya/
https://webgirls-studio.com/plyusy-i-minusy-obshheniya-v-internete/
https://plusiminusi.ru/plyusy-i-minusy-virtualnogo-obshheniya/