Online messaging platforms have changed the way we communicate personally and professionally.
Words by Jamie Tolentino
Artwork by Bianca Felipe
As popular as Facebook messenger is today, it is primarily a sharing platform. People post statuses and photos detailing intimate and special details of their lives, and in return family and friends comment freely. The result is that we have had to delineate public versus private communication like mini celebrities in our own right. For example, I broke the news of my engagement via Facebook and trusted that it would travel to all the people who needed to know.
PRIVATE VERSUS PUBLIC CHAT
The mainstream use of Facebook and Twitter puts a great emphasis on public sharing of information on a personal level. News of Britain’s exit from the EU also spread like wildfire within minutes over these social media channels. The presence of these platforms have made it easier for “open” people to share news faster, but have made more “private” people hesitant to join in the posting of messages amid fears that it will become public very quickly. It is harder for those who are fairly private to keep so unless they regularly monitor their friends list.
PRIVATE GROUPS
Platforms like Viber and WhatsApp have made it easy for groups to get in touch and share information with the people they choose. This is much more efficient than repeating the story to each person individually. It’s more aligned to getting a group of friends together and telling them a piece of news. Slack has also proved to be a popular messaging equivalent enabling remote teams to collaborate. That you can see who has read your messages makes it redundant to ask, “Hey, did you get my message?” However, this does mean that everything you put on there is technically “recorded.”
SELF-DESTRUCTING MESSAGES
Apps like Snapchat pioneered photo sharing which self-destructs, while Telegram lets you decide whether you want a conversation to self-destruct every time. Some people are not comfortable with the idea that conversation is forever recorded, especially if you have embarrassing news to share with your loved ones. People also don’t want to risk other people accidentally clicking their messages, so this option seems attractive. However, there is no guarantee that your picture or message will be read instantly. In some cases though, it can.
GLOBAL AUDIENCE
Online messaging platforms has made real-time global conversation affordable. All the messaging apps deliver your text messages via a data connection, which is relatively cheap compared to the price of international texting or calling.
IMPORTANCE OF PRIVACY
More private communications are still catered for by the likes of WhatsApp and Viber which allow you to create groups you can more easily control. However there is the issue of private messages and photos being circulated.
COMMUNICATION VIA WRITTEN TEXT
As a result of online messaging, much communication takes place in the form of written text versus the verbal communication. Some among the older generation struggle with this, but the younger generation has come to grips with it, especially the use of emojis. However, a lot of detailed communication is missed out because tone of voice and facial expression cannot be conveyed over written text.
Ultimately, communications has become faster, cheaper and more efficient. However, we risk becoming impersonal and less rich in content.
