Problem: How to respond to someone who says. Social media helps us feel listened to because it involves active feedback. Likes and replies signal acknowledgement and make us feel more seen. This is an example of active listening, which the textbook defines as "the process of being physically and mentally engaged in the listening process and letting the speaker know that you are engaged." (131) Liking someone's reply or comment lets the speaker or listener know that they have been seen, and this is a form of communication where both sides are letting each other know that they are engaged. I think it works as a short-term sense of validation, but the lack of real acknowledgement leaves room for doubts and uncertainties. For this reason, I think that real world active listening is much more effective. Differently that active listening, critical listening involves "listening to evaluate the quality, appropriateness, value, or importance of the information you hear" (134), and this shows that a deeper level of communication requires more than acknowledgement. There has to be proof of understanding and judgement involved. Need Assignment Help?