Put your best face forward: Effects of media technologies on interpersonal communication of teenagers

In society, it appears that technology and the Internet have taken over teens verbal communication skills. Today's teens use technology to engage in at least one form of personal electronic communication, which allows them to communicate with other people. This study will explore how and why teens use technological devices and the Internet as their primary source for communication. The purpose of this study is to pose the notion that technology and social media networking has an effect on teen's communication skills. This study justifies and provides qualitative evidence of how teens have many outlets for media communication through their mobile devices and the gratification which they gain from their use of media technologies.;In this study, the researcher conducted a focus group with ten participants and two individual interviews with adults was held to collect data to support this study. The data collected is provided in the findings chapter of this study. In this study, the research aims to answer the following researcher questions:;RQ1: What are the different communication and media related needs do teens maybe fulfilling through their use of mobile devices?;RQ2: How do teenagers use media communication for their personal gratification?;RQ3: What are the implications of increased access (to other individuals and information) afford to teens with the advancement in media and interactive technology in regards to adolescent development and well-being?...