I found the Lord of the Rings example in class very interesting so I started thinking. There are so many ways that we communicate in society. The simple glance that means come here or go away, or the pound and explode handshake that signifies comradeship. I find it very interesting that we can all interpret these simple gestures. However, when there is that one time that we don't it's extremely embarrassing. Such as, when you see someone waving at you but they aren't really waving at you or when someone you have seen once in your life says hello and you don't recognize them until they have gone. These are simple mistakes in communication but why is it that we feel so out of the loop when we miss a simple gesture?
Communication has definitely evolved since the days of the smoke signals. I mean it is amazing how far we really have come. We can send texts and receive them within seconds of them being sent. Also, it is crazy how we can have almost a complete computer in our phones. That is another issue entirely though. Imagine how excited people were when they could send letters in the mail or send a telegram. It would be a really difficult bridge to cross if there were no computers. How would any communication have been made faster if there weren't computers? There would be no email, texting, or facebook.
On the other side of the coin there is the fact that this advancement in technology has made communication less personal. Question: If there was a computer in front of you and you had a question to ask your boss about what would you do?
1. Send an email?
2. Go ask in person
I would assume that many people would just send an email if their question wasn't that urgent. Does this change in communication really benefit our generation? When we have families of our own are we going to be texting our ten year old children to come to dinner or IMing them to clean their rooms? How far do we have to go?
Hi Kathleen,
ReplyDeleteI found your blog very interesting! You posed some food for thought at the end which definitely has me thinking. Some mornings I wake up and text my roommates to see if they want breakfast. I'm pretty sure it would be way easier for me to just ask them on my way downstairs, but my first thought is to just send out a text. One of my roommates says "texting is taking over the world". Not that texting is a bad thing, but I just want to not be so dependent upon it. There are so many other ways to get a message across.
Lol def can relate. In high school I remember calling my mom from the basement to ask if dinner was ready! Anyway I also think its important to avoid a strong dependence on technology. I am a firm believer that people of our generation are losing valuable interpersonal communication skills because of their dependence on electronic communication. I often find my conversations with my 16 year old sister being interrupted because she got a Facebook notification on her Blackberry. Likewise, my communication skills have devolved as I usually find myself punching her when this happens.
ReplyDeleteI agree that things like texting are having an effect on people's interpersonal skills. I have a friend that texts me about EVERYTHING. Often, I find that I am spending more time replying to her texts, and getting less information than if we were just talking on the phone. A growing number of people are texting in the office, or in the school room when they should be concentrating on other things. There are also many people that are learning how to communicate in text speak, but are losing the ability to use proper grammar.
ReplyDeleteThe advances in communication is amazing and it has made our lives simpler. We can communicate messages to one another almost instantly without having to talk to them or see them. It is wonderful to be able to do that, but it has isolated us. I hate to say that I would probably be the person to send the email. I also prefer texting over talking on the phone in most situations. I think that this is starting to become a problem with our society nowadays. Younger children are lacking social skills because of these different forms of communication we have now. I am a dance teacher, and I see the difference in my students. I hope that as a parent I never text my child if they are in the same house as me, but I know that it happens. Children today have a form of technology in front of them when they communicate which allows them to connect to the rest of the world but it doesn't really allow them to connect with other people (in face to face situations). Is this healthy? When they grow up are they going to have the social skills they need to fit into society?
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