“Characteristics of Online Communication. Advantages and Limitations”

Abstract

Abstract Online communication remains today predominant in influencing members of society through the use of new technical ways of communication. Traditional communication is thus being replaced by new ways. The media plays a huge role in disseminating information. According to Trappel, online media is a stand-alone genre. They meet first of all the defining characteristics of the media: they are public (they can be accessed by anyone), they are technically transmitted, they are addressed to a wide audience, they are characterized by periodicity and they relate to reality. On top of that, online media also have their own characteristics: they are multimedia (exceeding the limits imposed on print or classic media), they are digital (and therefore can be processed and dispersed) and they are interactive (they allow direct feedback). Especially the hypermedia possibilities of the internet bring an enormous flexibility in the creation and transmission of information. The period marked by the pandemic brought online communication to its peak. However, the online press must maintain a vital role in raising awareness of the masses in order to counteract the harmful effects of communication manipulation. The benefits of online communication must lead to an increase in the level of training of users, both in terms of media education and in terms of online education. Certainly, the online school will remain in the future, not only as an alternative, but also as an independent component of education.