We are not alone. This pandemic teaches us the importance of shared moments

Meaningful connections with our loved ones help us get through this crisis

MANILA, Philippines - There’s a universal truth that has sprung from textbooks to reality in recent weeks: humans need meaningful connections.

When rumors of Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ) spread, many of us flocked to the supermarkets and drugstores to stock up on food and medicines for our loved ones. Next thing we knew, the rumors became reality.

We became isolated in our homes, far away from the people we're used to be around with at work, school, or hangout places. Loneliness hit us. And no matter how introverted or socially flexible we considered ourselves to be, social isolation can be overwhelming. This is especially true for most of us in the city who only have ourselves to wake up to the next day.

But we are not alone. As cliché as it may seem, this phrase speaks the truth. We are only physically isolated, not separated.

We are lucky that it’s the year 2020 and we have the Internet as our friend. Through technology, we can connect with other people: families, friends, and even strangers.

In fact, Filipinos are some of the most active internet users worldwide. This probably isn’t news to anyone who’s active in Stan Twitter, Subtle Asian Facebook groups, or those who regularly communicate with OFW family members.

Everywhere you look in the virtual space, there’s a Filipino there. This only goes to show how important communication and expression is to our culture.

For those who are only discovering this for the first time, open your laptop or your phone. Click on the family members not living with you today. Know that a few decades ago, seeing their faces on that small screen and talking to them in real-time would have been impossible.

Your friends may not be next to you holding your hand while you break down, at least they are just a click away. In the same way, we can easily comfort our family and friends in these uncertain times - whether through a call, text, chat, or a voice message in your favorite app.

Moreover, the Internet has enabled us to come together to reach out to those who need our help and support through the numerous donation drives across online groups. These efforts remind us that every little contribution can make a huge difference in the lives of others.

- Rappler.com

In order to better understand the communication process, we can break it down into a series of eight essential components. These are the eight parts as presented by What is communication (2012):

1. Source - The source imagines, creates, and sends the message. In a public speaking situation, the source is the person giving the speech. He or she conveys the message by sharing new information with the audience. The speaker also conveys a message through his or her tone of voice, body language, and choice of clothing. This process of turning thoughts into communication is called encoding.

2. Message - The message is the stimulus or meaning produced by the source for the receiver or audience. When you plan to give a speech or write a report, your message may seem to be only the words you choose that will convey your meaning. But that is just the beginning. The words are brought together with grammar and organization. You may choose to save your most important point for last. The message also consists of the way you say it—in a speech, with your tone of voice, your body language, and your appearance—and in a report, with your writing style, punctuation, and the headings and formatting you choose. In addition, part of the message may be the environment or context you present it in and the noise that might make your message hard to hear or see.

3. Channel - The channel is the way in which a message or messages travel between source and receiver (What Is Communication?, 2012). There are multiple communication channels available to us today. These include face-to-face conversations, letters, telephone calls, text messages, email, the Internet (including social media such as Facebook and Twitter), blogs, tweets radio and TV, written letters, brochures and reports (SkillsYouNeed, 2020) and so forth.

4. Receiver - The receiver receives the message from the source, analyzing and interpreting the message in ways both intended and unintended by the source. In order to receive a message, she or he listens, sees, touches, smells, and/or tastes to receive a message. The process of turning communication into thoughts is called decoding. The receiver decodes the message.

5. Feedback - When the receiver responds to the source, intentionally or unintentionally, she/he is giving feedback. Feedback is composed of messages the receiver sends back to the source. Verbal or nonverbal, all these feedback signals allow the source to see how well, how accurately (or how poorly and inaccurately) the message was received. Feedback also provides an opportunity for the receiver or audience to ask for clarification, to agree or disagree, or to indicate that the source could make the message more interesting.

6. Environment - The environment is the atmosphere, physical and psychological, where an individual sends and receives messages. This can include the tables, chairs, lighting, and sound equipment that are in the room. The room itself is an example of the environment. The environment can also include factors like formal dress that may indicate whether a discussion is open and caring or more professional and formal. People may be more likely to have an intimate conversation when they are physically close to each other, and less likely when they can only see each other from across the room. In that case, they may text each other, itself an intimate form of communication. The choice to text is influenced by the environment.

7. Context - The context of the communication interaction involves the setting, scene, and expectations of the individuals involved. A professional communication context may involve business suits (environmental cues) that directly or indirectly influence expectations of language and behavior among the participants.

8. Interference or noise – This is anything that blocks or changes the source’s intended meaning of the message. For example, if you drove a car to work or school, chances are you were surrounded by noise. Car horns, billboards, or perhaps the radio in your car interrupted your thoughts, or your conversation with a passenger. Psychological noise is what happens when your thoughts occupy your attention while you are hearing, or reading, a message. Stereotypes, reputations, assumptions, and biases are examples of psychological noise which affect communication. Interference can come from other sources, too. Perhaps you are hungry, and your attention to your current situation interferes with your ability to listen. Maybe the office is hot and stuffy. Not all noise is bad, but noise interferes with the communication process. For example, your cell phone ringtone may be a welcome noise to you, but it may interrupt the communication process in class and bother your classmates.

Media, particularly social media provides great ways to connect, to interact, and to communicate with friends and family while living separately. We can share pictures, videos, some information among our friends who are far away from us. Through social media, you can make strong your existing relationships and can make new friends from all over the world through different social networking websites (A Research Guide for Students, 2019). Social media reduce the barriers of communication and making it easier for everyone to express their thoughts to the world (EASE Technology Solutions, 2016). Indeed, as technology grows and expands our range of communication, media is becoming a vital tool for daily social interaction.

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