These days, we have more communication options than ever before. We can communicate with each other online, through social media and messaging apps, or we can talk face-to-face in person. Each method of communication has its own set of pros and cons, so it cannot be easy to decide which is the best option for a particular situation. This blog post will compare online vs. offline communication and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each method.

Online and offline communication both have their place.

We now have more means of communicating with each other. It used to be that we could only talk with someone face-to-face, but as technology developed, we created means to speak with someone from a distance. It started with the telephone; from there, computers, the Internet, and social media came in, and we now have e-mails, messaging applications, video chat, and the ability to post and comment on what you like to say online. Online communication is now part of our daily lives, and many people engage in such communication. Offline interaction, meaning no use of any form of technology to communicate, still exists, but it seems people tend to use this form to a lesser extent now. Both online and offline communication is essential, and no one form is better than the other. Each has its pros and cons, and it's vital to know what each communication form can bring to us.

Online communication - advantages and disadvantages

Online interactions are prevalent nowadays. There are several ways to communicate online, depending on the technology used and the software or application utilized. One can quickly learn how to use any of them, especially for those born in the 2000s when technology is starting to play more part in our lives. Online communications have several advantages over offline ones, and here are some of them.

• The obvious and possibly best advantage online communication has over offline is that you can communicate with anyone from around the world. This long-distance capability also allows people to communicate with friends, family, and relatives far away from you, so you won't miss them much if you can talk with them anytime.
• Convenience is another factor many people like to communicate with online. You can do it anytime and anywhere if you have technology that allows you to speak with someone online, such as your cell phone or computer.
• One can save a significant amount of time communicating online, such as texting or chatting with your friend online, instead of having to go to their place anytime you want to talk. This factor is also handy in work, as it makes communication efficient by speaking with somebody online instead of going to a different company or office to conduct work-related business.
• Online communication can do wonders for people who are a bit shy or introverted, as they may find it challenging to talk with someone in person. In addition, they may open up more if they don't have to face directly the person they are talking to.
• It is possible to create new relationships by talking to people online, as you may get the chance to speak with people that you may otherwise find challenging to talk to in real life, such as if they live in a different country. If you want, you could have online friends that may eventually lead to you meeting them in real life, which can lead to new meaningful relationships.

As much as there are advantages, there are also disadvantages to online communication, such as:

• It can be challenging to discern a person's emotions and what they mean by what they say. Some visual cues are absent in online communication depending on the method used. If you only read what somebody says or posts online, you don't see their facial expressions and body language, so you may not know the genuine emotion behind what they say. Video chats can let you see who you are speaking to, but it still feels limited. There is something more personal with face-to-face interactions in real life.
• People may lose the ability to socialize if they prioritize only online communication. They may not be familiar with visual cues, such as how people react to what you say and the change in intonation indicating the emotion behind their lines.
• When communicating online, it's possible to get hacked. Someone may gain access to your private communication with someone, and this is because you are using technology to communicate, which can be prone to hacking. Others may then spread what they know about your conversations, which is especially dangerous if somebody is trying to slander you.
• When communicating online, one may find it hard to know what is real from what is not. It's easy to hide behind a screen and say something different from what you mean. Also, the images and profiles you see of others may not indicate who they are in real life. It can be disheartening to know that somebody you consider a friend online may only be a pretender.

Offline communication - advantages and disadvantages

The tried and true classic of engagement with others, offline communication remains an essential form of communicating with others. But, of course, we can't possibly communicate with people online all the time, especially if the people we can talk to are beside us. However, real-life interaction has a charm that makes it special despite the disadvantages compared to online communication. And if you think about it, we could only speak with someone in person before any of these technological advancements came into being. So being reminded of what talking to somebody in person can bring is nice.

• The best advantage offline interactions bring is the quality of communication they bring when speaking to others. However, there is something extraordinary when talking to someone in real life. It feels more personal, and you feel valued when somebody takes the time to speak to you. And, of course, you get to see how somebody reacts and communicates in real-time, so you can have a clue about the impact of what you say to others and how you should proceed in the conversation.
• If you want to form more meaningful relationships with others, interact with them by using face-to-face conversation. It's more meaningful when you talk with someone in real life, and you can know them better than communicating online, where you may only see the words they type. As a result, trust and value become easier to create.
• It is easier to understand what somebody says and means when you talk with them personally than online. A good example is when receiving instructions from someone. It can be challenging to follow by looking only at what someone writes online, especially if it requires visual cues to explain better, such as procedures for operating something like a machine or an actual task like cooking a dish or repairing a device. With real-life communication, someone can show you how something is done. Also, you can quickly go back and forth for clarifications when speaking to someone in real life instead of waiting for replies which may not instantly come when interacting with someone online.

The disadvantages of communicating offline pops up when compared to online communication. We have no choice but to communicate offline before the advent of technological advances. Now that they are here, one may see how disadvantageous real-life communication can be compared to the ease and efficiency of online communication. Some notable disadvantages include the following:

• As much as personal communication done in real life feels more meaningful and wonderful, you still have to dedicate time to do it. For somebody who is too busy, they may not have the time to interact physically with friends anymore, especially if they are living far away from you. So for many of us, online communication has become preferable since it is instant, and we can drop by and say hello without having to go to our friends' locations.
• We can't interact effectively with someone far away from us, such as those in a different country. Traveling, especially by plane, is costly and impractical to talk with someone living far away, so communicating online is more desirable and practical. We also limit ourselves to the possible relationships we can create if we only talk to those close to us and those we immediately see in the places we visit.
• For some people, it can be an unnerving experience to talk with someone face to face, so talking online is better for them. This phenomenon is only an issue for those struggling to socialize or communicate physically.

Communicate effectively depending on the situation

Online communication is not meant to replace how we communicate in the real world. Instead, it is an alternative form of communication that can come in handy, especially if distance and time are obstacles to reaching out to someone. If we can, we should try to communicate personally with someone, especially if they are just within reach or we value someone, so we want to see and talk to them face to face. Communicating offline should stay in practice, while online communication supplements it. There is a place and time for each form of communication, and we should be aware of when it is more beneficial to do one form over the other.