FINAL PRESENTATION SCRIPT (5–7 minutes)
With embedded delivery, visual, and teamwork notes
Title: To what extent do social media platforms strengthen or weaken interpersonal
communication?
🟢 INTRODUCTION (45 seconds)
*(Delivery: Eye contact, confident tone. Visual: Slide 1 – Title + question + two phones facing
each other vs. apart)*
Presenter 1 (or solo):
[Smile, look at audience, speak clearly]
Imagine this: You’re out with friends, but instead of talking, everyone is scrolling through
Instagram or TikTok. Sound familiar?
[Pause for effect]
At the same time, think about a friend you only keep in touch with through WhatsApp.
Without social media, you might have lost contact entirely.
Today, I’ll answer: To what extent do social media platforms strengthen or weaken
interpersonal communication?
We’ll look at evidence from two academic articles. By the end, you’ll see that social media
strengthens reach and speed but weakens depth and quality — and the key is balance.
🟡 BODY – STRENGTHENING SIDE (1.5 minutes)
(Delivery: Enthusiastic tone for positives. Visual: Slide 2 – “Strengthens” with icons: globe,
clock, group of people)
Presenter 1:
Let’s start with how social media strengthens communication.
First — it removes physical distance.
Hoel and colleagues (2021) found that tablets and social robots help people with dementia
stay socially connected. Even when face-to-face contact is hard, technology keeps humans
together.
Second — we can now interact with thousands of people worldwide. Before social media, we
were limited to people we met in person.
Third — social media is a lifeline in fast-paced lives. When we lack time for long talks, quick
messages help maintain relationships.
Finally — social media unites people for social causes — from fundraisers to awareness
campaigns.
So yes, social media does strengthen communication — in speed, breadth, and access.
🔴 BODY – WEAKENING SIDE (2 minutes)
(Delivery: Slightly slower, serious tone. Visual: Slide 3 – “Weakens” with broken connection
icon, isolated figure)
Presenter 2 (if group; if solo, continue):
[Step forward slightly, make eye contact]
Now the concerning part.
First — both articles agree: face-to-face interaction is declining.
Drouin & McDaniel (2018) call this technoference — technology disrupting real-life
interactions. That leads to lower relationship satisfaction and more conflict.
Second — families suffer. Betlej & Leśniak-Moczuk (2017) found families sit together but are
emotionally absent — everyone on a device. That weakens real emotional bonds.
Third — we’re losing in-person social skills. The second article quotes professor Paul Booth:
we’d rather text than talk, and email than meet. Many young people now struggle to hold a
normal conversation without a phone.
Fourth — no more non-verbal cues. No facial expressions. No tone of voice. The first article
says this leads to constant misunderstandings and less empathy.
Fifth — social media creates information bubbles. Algorithms show us only what we agree
with. This narrows our perspectives and increases social polarization.
Finally — cyberbullying is now inescapable. Unlike school bullying, online messages follow the
victim everywhere — even at home.
So to a large extent, social media weakens the depth, quality, and authenticity of how we
connect.
🔵 CONCLUSION (1.5 minutes)
*(Delivery: Confident, summarizing tone. Visual: Slide 4 – Balance scale: phone on one side,
face-to-face conversation on the other)*
Presenter 1 (back to solo or lead):
So let’s answer the question directly.
To what extent do social media platforms strengthen or weaken interpersonal
communication?
They strengthen communication in reach, speed, and convenience — helping us connect
across the world and stay in touch when life gets busy.
But they weaken communication in depth, quality, and emotional richness — reducing face-
to-face skills, increasing loneliness, and replacing meaningful conversations with shallow
interactions.
[Slow down for final takeaway]
The second article concludes: “Nothing can replace face-to-face conversation.”
The first article says we must use technology in a balanced way.
So my final answer:
Social media strengthens communication moderately — for breadth, not depth.
To a greater extent, it weakens communication by eroding the emotional foundation of
human connection.
[Look at audience, confident pause]
If we want strong relationships, we must put our phones down and talk to the person right in
front of us.
Thank you.