IM, email and telephones
by Bob on July 16, 2007
There is an interesting twist to how people communicate: in person, on the telephone, through postal letters made of real paper in real envelopes, email, and instant messaging.
They are all rather quite different in content and that is presumably conditioned by the medium.
Typical person to person, in person, face to face, is usually a very engaged, florid exchange with much warmth that can be felt. Unless it is otherwise, as just minimally exchanging words, which I think is rare. I think this is one of the richest form of communication, especially in content. Because we introduce non-verbal communication: body and gestural language. If not the language of the human aura.
Then there is telephone communication. There is still a lot of content in this and emotive force. But it changes a bit from in person banter. For one, it's more protected (the parties are not in proximity), and insulated but still alive with colorful interchanges. Admittedly there are cold conversations, too. But these are the exception.
Cell phone conversations are so innane that one can hardly judge content.
Postal letter communication is a classic personal exchange, as one can judge by the handwriting and paper texture. So we find it rich in content interpersonally. It used to take a long time to think out, compose, and write a letter. In our modern age that time, as well as the attention span, has drastically reduced. Still, it's nice to get a well written, beautifully penned, perfumed letter from a loved one.
Email changes the rules significantly. Abbreviations are used. There is a filtering possible, as well as a definite insulation. It can still be rich in content, but usually isn't. It should have a salutation, opening, body, end, and closing. But it rarely does these days. Salutations are so important, but their importance has dwindled with the speed of the enter key and the electrons being pumped downstream.
When we get to computer Instant Messaging or cell phone text messenging, all bets are off. The communication is short and largely content devoid. It has minimal content, and is expressed in abbreviations, emoticons, and short word or text formal jargon. We lose a lot. Sure there are a millions emoticons. But the real aspect of human interaction is seemingly lost at sea.
One wonders if true communication and meaningful interchanges will return to our societal interactions again in great number.
When I lived overseas many years ago, my wise family friend at home told me to write once a week, not everyday. It was believed that giving more time gave more perspective and the content would be richer. Meaningless things would cancel out before the weekly time to write, which they did indeed. It was not smart to write a note or postcard everyday I was advised. Too much information, less content, less perspective. We see that it took time to read letters. And we can't buy time back to spend in our lives.
Would that the world were that simple now. And we cherished the beautiful art on postage stamps. And the Belles-lettres of old. Actually it only seems like a long time ago. Time and tide wait for no one as the old saying goes. Hopefully we know how to swim well down the fast moving rapids and river. One does wonder, though about it all.