There is a deluge of information about the damaging effects of technology on relationships. A quick Internet search will pull up innumerable sources, from scientific journals to editorial rants, asserting that social media actually undercuts our ability to form healthy relationships. (For the record, I fully appreciate the absurdity of finding this information online.)

There is more than enough evidence to warrant concern about the negative affects of social media, but even as I type this blog, I stop to reply to a text from my mom and comment on the photo of a friend’s new baby. And I don’t feel nearly as bad about it as the evidence suggests I should. In fact, my experience has been that technology enhances my relational connections.

So what’s the truth about social media’s impact on relational connections?

The answer lies in understanding social media’s abilities and limitations. Relationships feed our souls like food feeds our bodies; both are essential for our survival, and both offer an opportunity for connection, affection, hospitality, creativity, and individuality. If relationships are the sustenance of human connection, then social media is the seasoning; it can be an incredible asset, but ultimately it is only as good as the dish to which it is added.

In the same way that salt will enhance the flavor of a dish, social media can foster our ability to make the distance between loved ones seem shorter. Quality ingredients, like healthy relationships, nurture and sustain without seasoning, but even the most thorough seasoning can’t make a meal.

Jill Howgate, LAPC
jhowgate @ growcounseling.com