Communication
downside of instant messaging
To what extent is the phrase ‘instant messaging applications protect privacy’ true? Skilled hackers can hack the encrypted information transferred between users and use them for their advantage. Although you can block unwanted parties, they initially start a chat with you before you can block them. Users of instant messaging can be exposed to inappropriate content.
Viruses can spread. The feature of sending images and videos, share locations and share contacts can be a curse more than a blessing. The images, or videos, or locations or contacts shared may contain virus that can corrupt files or slow down the recipient’s device.
It might be fun chatting with your friends, but people often get carried away and sit continuously facing these screens. This doesn’t only effect the health of the user of instant messaging, it also effects the organization the user is working in. Because this user uses instant messaging application continuously, his/her productivity will decrease therefore the organization’s productivity will decrease. This is also the case for students since instant messaging distracts them from school work.
Instant messaging requires an internet connection. If you were in a place with poor or no internet connection, you can’t send or receives messages. This makes instant messaging a poor communication process in some cases.
Instant messaging is one of the reasons new generations are losing face to face communication skills. It is easy to type words; you can easily delete, retype or undo any error. However, you can’t do this when communicating face to face. This leads people to be more comfortable communicating through screens instead of interacting with each other.