Digital vs. Face-to-Face Conversations
How often do you actually sit down with family, friends, or co-workers to have a face-to-face conversation? No…Skype doesn’t count! How often do you email, text, or send instant messages throughout the day? I thought about this for a while and discovered that most of my conversations happen through some form of digital communication.
I’m either talking on my cell, texting (not while I’m working of course!) or emailing someone for about 12 hours per day. There are even times at work when someone who is sitting 6-10 feet away sends an instant message instead of walking over to talk. I have a certain friend that I met about a year ago. I bet I’ve heard this person’s voice and seen his/her face less than a dozen times, but probably received thousands of text messages from him/her! I almost feel like I would be stepping over the invisible communication line by calling or suggesting we meet somewhere for a conversation!
Have we as a society placed digital communication on the same level as face-to-face communication? We’re raising a generation of bloggers, Twitterers, and texters. Will this new digital generation understand the art or rules of communication? Or will these skills simply not matter in the future? How do you prefer to communicate? Good old fashioned face-to-face conversations or using some sort of digital communication? Weigh in and let us know your thoughts!
I am an old fashioned girl and much prefer the face-to-face communication. I use a computer at awork all day and since I gave up my land line several years ago My cell phone is my only phone. I talk to friends and family on the phone but even that is only when necessary. I much prefer to communicate face-to-face. I’m not sure we can have true relationships digitally.
Have a nice day.
I believe that face-to-face is always going to be the appropriate way to communicate. I used to text and email all the time. I found that when I went to write a letter or make a grocery list I was looking in the sky to spell words. Like Ronda, I only speak on the phone when necessary. Not being able to interact physically, takes the bonding out of the picture. You can’t read or react to a person’s body language because you can’t see it. Yes, you can misread a person’s body language in face-to-face, but the margin of error increases when using a webcam.
I can say more and explain things better when I speak aloud. I can’t say the same for my son(who is so used to texting and emailing). He can barely speak and get his point across without using words that, I feel, are made up. I got upset when he started texting me from his bedroom…
It’s not what you do….It’s how you do it….don’t take out the best part of communicating…
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