I’ve discovered that our ability to communicate with each other has been greatly enhanced by the development of modern technology. Today cell phones and their far reaching capabilities are as common as people who breathe oxygen. Unfortunately we’ve learned too late that simply being able to communicate does not necessarily mean you have something worth communicating.
Growing up I can remember how people actually held conversations complete with talking and body language. You learned to respond to inflections in the voice and how people responded to what you were saying. Today we can easily communicate without actually speaking to one another. One of the favorite means to do this is by texting one another.
I know people who say that texting is quicker than talking. They may spend vast amounts of time sending and receiving texts on one subject. I asked one person if he thought this may be his way of actually avoiding simply talking to another person. He just walked away and sent me a rather rude text.
I’m constantly amazed by people’s dependence on electronic devices just to exchange a few words with one another.
I was on a business lunch with a man who spent most of the time talking on his cell phone. Since he didn’t seem capable of understanding that he was being rather rude I actually called him on his cell phone.
He asked where I was and when I told him sitting right across the table from him he turned away and attempted a conversation. I asked why he didn’t just put the cell phone down, turn around and talk to me. He said he was more comfortable doing it this way. Luckily nobody in the restaurant noticed the rude gestures I was making to the man sitting across from me.
Email runs the spectrum of quite useful to absolutely insane. I don’t forward Emails as requested. I’ve not gotten rich, become poor or had a loved one meet their ultimate demise because of it. It seems that people and companies that sent annoying things in the mail now send them to you as Email. The sheer volume of Emails received at times makes it impossible to respond to everything. I know some people who do attempt to keep current.
“You’ve not been away from your computer for days. You need to stop trying to respond to all of your Emails.”
“Send me an Email and I’ll think about it.”
“Huh?”
Many people are absolutely horrified at the thought of being without their cell phone or not having access to the internet for even the shortest period of time. It seems they’d rather face anything in the world rather than spend a day without their electronic devices.
“During your trip you may have to travel across areas inhabited by hungry lions.”
“No problem.”
“You will have to cross water occupied by hippos that may attempt to turn your boat over and kill you”
“Ah, we’ll be fine.”
“The land is also inhabited by snakes, spiders and insects that could poison you or squeeze you to death and maybe even give you a deadly disease.”
“No bid deal.”
“Many of the places along your route will have no cell phone coverage.”
“Oh no, that’s the most terrifying thing I’ve ever heard. How could anybody survive such a horrible ordeal?”
Communication between couples is a difficult and often complicated endeavor. Getting one to truly understand the other has always been a challenge. Modern technology has enabled people the ability to connect mentally and emotionally but physically is another matter.
“My boyfriend is mad at me and we’re not talking. I wish there was some way I could get him to understand why I’m so upset.”
“You should go over to his house or have him come to your house and the two of you have a face-to-face chat.”
“That wouldn’t work.”
“Why?”
“I’ve never actually even seen Steve. He lives in some country somewhere. It’s too expensive for him to come here or for me to go there. We’ve just adapted.”
I may be somewhat old fashioned when it comes to relationships. I have always felt it was kind of important to be physically near the person you’re involved with for a variety of reasons. There just seems something lost in kissing a computer screen good night. Walking had in cell phone along a beach just doesn’t seem all that romantic. Taking a lap top to a dance club just may just be something that could get you a bit of unwanted attention.
It’s always a challenge to communicate exactly what you want to say. It’s an even bigger challenge to make certain you’ve been understood. Modern technology has enabled more people to communicate more often. Unfortunately technology hasn’t given people the ability to say something worth hearing or increased anyone’s ability to correctly understand what’s been said to them.
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