In recent times, due to the rise of COVID-19, there has been a surge in virtual communication. As a result, individuals across the world are experiencing a loss of face-to-face interaction, which is crucial in relationship bonding and general emotional intelligence. While experiences differ from person to person, this physical isolation has harmed many people. In order to fully understand the damaging effects of decreasing face-to-face communication, the importance of emotional intelligence must first be clarified. As explained by Drs. Travis Bradberry and Jean Greaves, “Emotional Intelligence is your ability to recognize and understand emotions in yourself and others, and your ability to use this awareness to manage your behavior and relationships.” Research has shown that emotional intelligence can be incredibly helpful in many aspects of life. A study done by Schutte et al. in 2001 showed that people who were more emotionally intelligent also “showed a greater propensity for empathic perspective taking, cooperation with others, developing affectionate and more satisfying relationships as well as greater social skills in general” [1]. This only bolsters the well-known fact that humans are social creatures and that emotional intelligence is one of humanity’s core traits.
Generally, there are multiple benefits associated with consistent communication with other individuals. A study conducted by Rohrer et al. found that connecting with people leads to greater satisfaction in life than simply living alone [2]. Since social interaction can lead to positive and healthy relationships between different individuals, it is clearly a worthwhile endeavor.
People can recognize emotions based on multiple factors. The most straightforward factor is the tone of the voice, which can be transmitted in-person and virtually. However, there are other key factors of communication, such as behaviors, gestures, and facial recognition, that can only be noticed in face-to-face interaction. Without these in-person indicators, communicating through a voice call or even a video chat can be frustrating. A study done by Lee et al. found that “the use of the Internet for interpersonal communication is not the same as offline face-to-face communication in enhancing quality of life” in a survey conducted on a few notable Chinese societies, namely Hong Kong, Taipei, Beijing, and Wuhan [3]. The authors also proposed that the reason for people believing their quality of life has decreased due to online communication is because of the “the absence of nonverbal cues, lack of warmth, and less demand for engagement in Internet communication.” These all lead to “impersonality, shallow interactions, and difficulty in building social support” [3].
Another example of how increasing digital technology decreases one’s quality of life is shown in Japanese culture. Specifically, the term “hikikomori” in Japanese is defined as “a form of pathological social withdrawal or social isolation whose essential feature is physical isolation in one’s home” [4]. With the rise in technology, there is no doubt that there is a strong connection between internet addiction and being a hikikomori. In fact, children “who have grown up with the internet could prefer to interact with others online rather than engage in interpersonal communication in the real world,” as proven in a study by Tateno et al. This leads to whole generations having less socially nourishing experiences.
As the Internet becomes even more convenient, it is without a doubt that the percentage of users will grow too. Naturally, as the percentage of people who rely on digital communication increases, the overall number of in-person interactions in society would decrease. According to Ulrich Kellerer, an international speaker and leadership expert, “[...] it is our intensifying relationship with the digital environment that leads to unhealthy habits that not only distract us from the ‘present,’ but also negatively impact communication effectiveness” [6]. As a study by Dr. Mehrabian shows that as much as 93% of communication is nonverbal, it is clear that the ability to see the people you are speaking to is important in human interaction [7].
To resolve the issue of society’s overdependence on virtual communication, ironically, a well-developed AI program may actually make up for decreasing face-to-face communication. Currently, there are already products, ranging from chatbots to humanoid robots, that are somewhat equipped with the tools to communicate with humans. These include Quantified, Washington Post’s Heliograph, Netomi, and other social machines. From increasing user engagement to replacing romantic partners, AI is slowly becoming a popular outlet for interaction as digital communication becomes more entrenched within society.
Moreover, with the merging of artificial Intelligence and virtual reality, future technology will be able to incorporate the benefits of face-to-face communication in online interactions. More specifically, given that artificial intelligence may eventually be able to replicate and recognize human behaviors and emotions, virtual reality in the future may allow artificially intelligent programs to appear more human-like. In fact, companies such as Facebook are striving to create a “metaverse,” a “maximalist, interconnected set of experiences straight out of sci-fi,” or as most people interpret it, a virtual yet physical world [8]. To solve the problem of diminishing face-to-face communication, this futuristic reality may be our most likely solution.
[1] E. Houston, “The Importance of Emotional Intelligence (Including Quotes),” PositivePsychology.com, Feb. 06, 2019. https://positivepsychology.com/importance-of-emotional-intelligence/ (accessed Jun. 24, 2021).
[2] K. M. Newman, “Is Social Connection the Best Path to Happiness?,” Greater Good. https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/is_social_connection_the_best_path_to_happiness (accessed Jun. 24, 2021).
[3] P. S. N. Lee, L. Leung, V. Lo, C. Xiong, and T. Wu, “Internet Communication Versus Face-to-face Interaction in Quality of Life,” Soc. Indic. Res., vol. 100, no. 3, pp. 375–389, Feb. 2011, doi: 10.1007/s11205-010-9618-3.
[4] T. A. Kato, S. Kanba, and A. R. Teo, “Defining pathological social withdrawal: proposed diagnostic criteria for hikikomori,” World Psychiatry, vol. 19, no. 1, pp. 116–117, Feb. 2020, doi: 10.1002/wps.20705.
[5] M. Roser, H. Ritchie, and E. Ortiz-Ospina, “Internet,” Our World Data, Jul. 2015, Accessed: Jun. 24, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://ourworldindata.org/internet
[6] C. K. Goman, “Has Technology Killed Face-To-Face Communication?,” Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/carolkinseygoman/2018/11/14/has-technology-killed-face-to-face-communication/ (accessed Jun. 24, 2021).
[7] D. Smith, “The Importance of Face-to-Face Communication in the Modern Workforce,” Lifesize, Oct. 29, 2019. https://www.lifesize.com/en/blog/importance-face-to-face-communication/ (accessed Jun. 24, 2021).
[8] C. Newton, “Mark Zuckerberg is betting Facebook’s future on the metaverse,” The Verge, Jul. 22, 2021. https://www.theverge.com/22588022/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-ceo-metaverse-interview (accessed Aug. 17, 2021).