How Digital Communication is Reshaping Interpersonal Relationships in Urban India: A Study of Communication Trends Among Young Adults
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55885/jprsp.v2i3.233Keywords:
Digital Communication, Interpersonal Relationships, Young AdultsAbstract
The present research aims at understanding the pattern of self and social communication and the effects of digital interpersonal connectivity on young adults in Urban India. Online self-communication questionnaire and qualitative semi-structured interview show that although digital communication is very convenient, allowing participants to communicate often and with low levels of burden, it hinders relationship depth as well as poses psychological pressure including feelings of being overwhelmed and increased anxiety. The work also identifies a significant decrease in live physical physical contact that the participants agree impacts the richness of the bond developed with others. It points to the fact that though digital communication is an effective way of keeping in touch it should be an additional to face to face communication. Consequently, the paper establishes that digital communication should be embraced in right proportions to reap on its positives while not compromising relational quality or causing negative impacts on individuals’ psychological wellness. The findings of this research will be beneficial for members of the society, teachers and other stakeholders who seek to improve the quality of communication through technology, especially in diverse cultural settings as the ones in India.References
Cemiloglu, D., Almourad, M. B., McAlaney, J., & Ali, R. (2022). Combatting digital addiction: Current approaches and future directions. Technology in Society, 68, 101832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101832
Chakraborty, P. (2019). Digital India: A tale of urban youth. Journal of Youth Studies, 22(10), 1337-1351. https://10.1080/13676261.2019.1607387
Civilotti, C., Dennis, J. L., Acquadro Maran, D., & Margola, D. (2021). When love just ends: An investigation of the relationship between dysfunctional behaviors, attachment styles, gender, and education shortly after a relationship dissolution. Frontiers in psychology, 12, 662237. https://10.3389/fpsyg.2021.662237
Fernandez, D. P., Kuss, D. J., & Griffiths, M. D. (2020). Short-term abstinence effects across potential behavioral addictions: A systematic review. Clinical psychology review, 76, 101828. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpr.2020.101828
Gioia, F., Fioravanti, G., Casale, S., & Boursier, V. (2021). The effects of the fear of missing out on people's social networking sites use during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of online relational closeness and individuals' online communication attitude. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 12, 620442. . https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.620442
Gupta, P., & Bhatia, S. (2019). Usage of social media by Indian youth: A study of age, gender, and class differences. International Journal of Scientific Research and Management, 7(1), 6508-6515. https://10.18535/ijsrm/v7i1.em01
Haimson, O. L., & Hoffmann, A. L. (2020). Constructing intimacy: The sociality of personalization on social media. New Media & Society, 22(4), 586-603. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444819866782
Hampton, K. N., Rainie, L., Lu, W., Shin, I., & Purcell, K. (2014). Social media and the cost of caring. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/01/15/social-media-and-stress/
Helsper, E. (2021). The digital disconnect: The social causes and consequences of digital inequalities.
Holtzman, S., DeClerck, D., Turcotte, J., & Maltby, J. (2021). Social media use, social support, and well-being among adolescents and young adults in the United States. Journal of Adolescence, 88, 84-93. https://10.1016/j.adolescence.2021.01.009
Horton, A., Hebson, G., & Holman, D. (2021). A longitudinal study of the turning points and trajectories of therapeutic relationship development in occupational and physical therapy. BMC health services research, 21, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-021-06095-y
Hussain, Z., & Griffiths, M. D. (2021). The associations between problematic social networking site use and sleep quality, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, anxiety and stress. International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction, 19(3), 686-700. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-019-00175-1
Keles, B., McCrae, N., & Grealish, A. (2020). A systematic review: the influence of social media on depression, anxiety and psychological distress in adolescents. International journal of adolescence and youth, 25(1), 79-93. https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1590851
Lareau, A. (2021). Listening to people: A practical guide to interviewing, participant observation, data analysis, and writing it all up. University of Chicago Press.
Larsen, R., Mangrio, E., & Persson, K. (2021). Interpersonal communication in transcultural nursing care in India: A descriptive qualitative study. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 32(4), 310-317. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444820985442
Marsh, E., Vallejos, E. P., & Spence, A. (2022). The digital workplace and its dark side: An integrative review. Computers in Human Behavior, 128, 107118. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.107118
Meshi, D., & Ellithorpe, M. E. (2021). Problematic social media use and social support received in real-life versus on social media: Associations with depression, anxiety and social isolation. Addictive Behaviors, 119, 106949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106949
Nguyen, M. H., Gruber, J., Marler, W., Hunsaker, A., Fuchs, J., & Hargittai, E. (2022). Staying connected while physically apart: Digital communication when face-to-face interactions are limited. New Media & Society, 24(9), 2046-2067. https://doi.org/10.1177/1461444820985442
Odgers, C. L., & Jensen, M. R. (2020). Annual research review: Adolescent mental health in the digital age: Facts, fears, and future directions. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 61(3), 336-348. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.13190
Prabhu, K., Kumar, A., & Sen, D. (2019). Social media use among Indian college students: A pilot study. Journal of Educational Technology for Society, 22(1), 100-110. https://10.15446/jets.v22i1.70472
Pratt, H., Moroney, T., & Middleton, R. (2021). The influence of engaging authentically on nurse–patient relationships: A scoping review. Nursing Inquiry, 28(2), e12388. https://doi.org/10.1111/nin.12388
Subrahmanyam, K., & Šmahel, D. (2019). Digital youth: The role of media in development. Springer International Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-93710-2
Tewathia, N., Kamath, A., & Ilavarasan, P. V. (2020). Social inequalities, fundamental inequities, and recurring of the digital divide: Insights from India. Technology in Society, 61, 101251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techsoc.2020.101251
Wang, H., & Wellman, B. (2020). Social connectivity in a changing world: Digital communication technologies and their impact on personal relationships. Journal of Social and Personal Relationships, 37(10), 3067-3086. https://10.1177/0265407520903714
Wang, R., Chen, F., Chen, Z., & Li, T. (2019). The relationship between social media addiction and academic performance among undergraduate students. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 57(2), 532-550. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633118796044
Williamson, H. C. (2021). The development of communication behavior over the newlywed years. Journal of Family Psychology, 35(1), 11. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/fam0000780
Yadav, R., & Yadav, K. (2017). Use of WhatsApp among Indian youth: A study of communication behavior. International Journal of Applied Research, 3(6), 585-587. https://10.21608/ijar.2017.913.1074
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2022 Journal of Public Representative and Society Provision

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.