Unit 2 Research Questions

1. How have digital platforms like social media and messaging apps changed the way people build and maintain relationships compared to past generations?

  • I think social media makes it easier to stay in touch, but relationships can also feel more surface-level since a lot of interactions are just likes or quick messages instead of real conversations.
  • It’s weird because we’re always connected, but sometimes it feels like we talk less in meaningful ways. It’s easier to ghost people too, which wasn’t as much of a thing before.
  • I like this question for a paper because it applies to everyone our age—we all experience how friendships are shaped by social media, for better or worse.

    • 2. How does the constant presence of technology affect the way we communicate, in terms of attention span and the type of conversations?

  • I feel like technology has made my attention span shorter. I catch myself checking my phone during conversations, even when I don’t mean to.
  • It’s harder to have deep conversations when everything is so fast-paced. A lot of people just send memes or short replies instead of actually talking.
  • This would be a good paper topic because it ties into things like mental health, focus, and how we actually process information now compared to before.

    • 3. As technology plays a bigger role in how we interact, what are the possible long-term effects on in-person communication skills like listening and reading social cues?

  • I think people are getting worse at reading body language and eye contact because we spend so much time communicating through screens.
  • A lot of people seem more anxious about in-person conversations, like they’re not sure how to react without the time to think like they have online.
  • This would be interesting to research because it could show how different generations communicate and whether we’re actually losing social skills or just developing new ones.


    • Reflection:

    From looking at the survey responses, I noticed a connection between the questions and how people were in their answers. The first question, about how social media and messaging apps have changed relationships, got the most personal responses. People talked about both the positives and negatives and how it makes staying in touch easier but also makes some relationships feel less real. This shows that many people think about and experience these changes in their daily lives.

    The second question, about attention span and conversation depth, also had strong responses, but they felt more frustrated. People admitted that technology makes it harder to focus, but they also seemed to accept it as normal. This is an interesting comparison, since people know it’s a problem, but they don’t seem sure how to change it.

    The third question, about long-term effects on in-person communication, had more uncertain responses. People gave passionate answers, but they weren’t as confident because these effects are still changing. 

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