Speaking Much, Listening Little: The Communication Crisis in the Social Media Era

Fitri Alfaqurohmah is a student of the Communication Science Study Program at the 17 Agustus 1945 University of Surabaya.

JurnalPost.com - Every day, we witness endless online debates. A single post triggers hundreds of comments, yet most of these comments fail to address the core issue.

People reply to one another, refute each other, and even attack one another, despite the fact that it is not certain anyone truly understands the other's intent. We live in an age where almost everyone has a stage, but few are willing to be listeners.

In communication studies, communication is never just about conveying a message. Communication is a process of building shared meaning. This means a message is only considered successful if the recipient understands it as the sender intended, or at least if both parties strive to understand each other.

If this is the metric, many conversations on social media are actually failures, even if the number of responses is abundant.

Crowded Stages, Quiet Ears

Social media is designed to encourage us to speak. Comment sections are always open, share buttons are always available, and algorithms reward content that provokes reactions with greater reach.

Such a system tends to favor those who speak quickly, not those who listen carefully. As a result, short, assertive, and emotional statements spread more easily than calm and balanced explanations.

At the same time, the ability to listen is often considered unimportant because it is invisible. People who listen well do not generate posts, do not get likes, and do not make their names the subject of conversation.

Yet, listening is half of communication. Without that ability, we are merely taking turns delivering monologues.

When Cues Disappear

Another problem arises from the very nature of digital communication. In face-to-face conversations, we read the tone of voice, facial expressions, and body language of the other person. These nonverbal cues help us interpret the true intent.

In digital spaces, especially in text-based communication, these cues are often invisible. A sentence meant as a joke can be read as sarcasm, while a short message intended to be efficient can come across as curt.

In such conditions, we tend to fill the void of meaning with prejudice. We interpret messages according to our own moods and beliefs.

If we already feel we disagree, even a neutral message is easily read as an attack. This is where misunderstandings thrive, and this is where the ability to ask questions, clarify, and delay reactions becomes invaluable.

Listening as a Skill

Listening is often mistaken for an innate talent, when in fact, this ability is a skill that can be practiced.

Active listening means giving full attention, not rushing to interrupt, and ensuring understanding before responding.

In the context of social media, the practice can start with simple things, such as reading a post to the end before commenting, checking whether we truly understand the other person's argument, and asking questions before accusing.

Another small habit is to pause. Before replying to a comment that triggers anger, we can ask ourselves: will this reply clarify the issue or just satisfy an emotion?

A pause of a few minutes is often enough to turn a reactive reply into a more meaningful response.

Shared Responsibility

Of course, the responsibility for building healthy communication should not be placed solely on individual users.

Social media platform companies also bear responsibility because their system designs can influence user behavior. Educational institutions also need to teach digital communication skills, including the ethics of expressing opinions and the ability to filter information, from an early age.

However, a change in communication culture will not happen without the awareness of each individual user.

Every time we choose to understand before responding, we contribute to shaping a healthier digital space.

Closing by Listening

Technological progress has given us an ease of speaking that has never existed before. However, that ease does not automatically make us understand each other better.

Precisely because everyone can speak, the ability to listen has become a skill that is increasingly rare yet increasingly important.

Perhaps it is time we measure the quality of communication not by how loudly we speak, but by how sincerely we are willing to listen.