In an article on CNN, they discuss the damage that text messaging has done on society. It also discusses how the phone call is a "dying institution" and that developmental psychologists are worried about young people, not because they use too much technology, but because their interpersonal skills have not yet fully formed. It also describes text messaging as a form of "hiding" and being all alone and recommends sometimes Facetiming or even Skyping the get that actual interaction with somebody.
Over the past two weeks in class we have discussed the communication process; what goes into the process and what can change the process, how to improve your verbal skills, and the different types of nonverbal communication. Communication is a continuous process in which the speaker and listener create shared meaning and understanding. In the real world it is simply unavoidable even if you just text or keep to yourself, eventually you are going to need to know how to communicate face-to-face with others because that will help you develop and sustain a relationship with others. In the article an 18-year-old was quoted as saying, "Someday, but certainly not now, I want to learn how to have a conversation." To me this is shocking than an 18-year-old, who will in just a couple years be setting out to find a job and be a part of the real world, doesn't yet know how to really have a conversation with somebody else. If you are simply just a person who uses text messaging then you are not part of the communication process, which includes: the sender, the message, the interpreter, and the feedback given by the interpreter. Technically, through text messaging, I suppose you are using the communication process, however, you are not having the face-to-face interaction with somebody and seeing their nonverbal form of communication. The nonverbal behavior includes all the behavior except the actual words themselves in a conversation. There are five different types of nonverbal communication which include: physical appearance, proxemics, kinesics, paralanguage, and haptics. First off, your physical appearance, which includes our clothing, hairstyle, weight, and many more factor into communication with others. Through text messaging you do not see the other person's physical appearance. Next, proxemics, which is essentially a person's space or territory. Often people refer to this as their "personal space" and this is important during a conversation because when in conversation you do not want the other person to feel uncomfortable or anything. To me this next one, kinesics, is the most important type of nonverbal behavior because it includes a lot of things. This refers to different body gestures/movements, facial expression, and so on. The different types of movements from an interpreter are an important way to communicate without actually speaking. It shows the sender you are listening and attentive. Some common gestures would include waving and pointing. Facial expressions are another huge factor of kinesics. Facial expressions are responsible for a majority of nonverbal communication. A lot of information can be portrayed with just a smile or a frown. Information can be perceived as happy, sad, anger, or even fearful. Next, the paralanguage, which is everything involved in the vocal channel minus the words, is completely gone through text messaging. This could include the tone of voice in which the sender speaks, the pitch of his or her voice, or even the loudness of the sender's voice. This is also an important step in nonverbal communication because the sender could be trying to portray the message a certain way using a different tone or pitch, but through text messaging you would not know this because you are not present in the conversation! The last form of nonverbal communication is haptics, or the communication through touch. The touch by an interpreter can show affection, understanding or even sympathy for the sender. In the article a MIT psychologist Sherry Turkle, who is one of the leading researchers looking into the effects of text messaging on interpersonal development, shares a vivid example of what is lost when we type it instead of speak it. Her example is the texted apology. When you are text messaging an apology you are mainly saying "I'm sorry" and then hitting send. However, communicating in person allows for a full-scale apology, she says, "A full-scale apology means I know I've hurt you, I get to see that in your eyes. You get to see that I am uncomfortable, and with that, the compassion response kicks in. There are many of these steps bypassed when we text." This example is a good representation of the different types of nonverbal communication lost when you text instead of talk in person. Ultimately, text messaging is okay in my opinion, however, there also needs to be face-to-face communication as well or else you will be in "hiding" and the thing about hiding is, it keeps you entirely alone.
No comments:
Post a Comment