My other daughter, who's twelve, sometimes Skypes me from the other end of the house to ask what's for dinner and whether I can buy her a mobile phone for Christmas. If I do, we'll open another avenue for electronic communication - which is, of course, both a blessing and a curse.
While it's a bit of fun for the kids, many of us have fallen into a habit of reverting to electronic communication by default. We have lost the art of assessing the best way to get our points across.
Sometimes a conversation on the phone or a face-to-face meeting is far preferable to sending an SMS, email, facebook message or tweet - yet we've lapsed into a mentality where we hit 'send' first and ask questions later - like 'why haven't they replied yet?' (two minutes after we sent the message).
Communicating electronically has revolutionised the way we work and socialise, and I love it. That said, it's important not to let it overtake opportunities for old-fashioned, techno-free personal interaction.
Start today
Before hitting that 'send' button, pause and ask yourself if there's a better way to make your point. Are you hiding behind a screen to avoid a phone or face-to-face conversation? Are you missing an opportunity to build rapport with someone, to re-establish an old connection or to brainstorm solutions to a problem in person?
Is your reliance on e-communication eating up time you would otherwise spend laughing in person over shared experiences, being outside in the 'real world' and 'having a life'?
Re-assess and, if necessary, broaden your communication styles for more balanced interactions with others.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment