Hello, Is There Anyone Out There?

Post Date

Mon, 06/24/2013 - 00:00

Categories

Lifestyle

In an interview published this month in Vogue magazine, Katie Perry revealed that her now ex-husband Russell Brand told her he wanted a divorce via a text message. Similarly, Real Housewives of Atlanta cast member, Porsha Stewart, revealed that she was told that her husband, NFL player Kordell Stewart, wanted a divorce via Twitter.

Reading about the use of text messaging and social media to communicate such private matters, reminded me of a conversation I recently overheard between my daughter and step-son. Sydney was clearly apprehensive about being so far from Ryan-they are very close- when they leave for college in August. Teasingly, in response to her concern, Ryan told her he would tweet her once a day and maybe send her a text message here and there. Picking up on the joke, Sydney started to negotiate the number of tweets, text messages, Facebook, and Instagram messages they would exchange daily. What I found interesting in their banter was their failure to mention actually speaking to one another.

Here's my quetion from all of this, in a world wherein we have so many different ways to communicate with one another have we lost the ability to actually speak to one another?

Comments

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there is definitely a trend away from interpersonal communications - each year the crop of interns is more tech-savvy and less capable of interpersonal communications than the group before! - Riva Schwartz

Ester Horowitz

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Yes Yes Yes. It causes a whole bunch of misunderstandings simply because the emotional nuances that can be found in direct communication are missing and it allows a lot of jumping to wrong conclusions. A deal was sunk because of it but I'm not exactly unhappy that it was sunk. The problem lied in the fact that I was blamed for sinking the deal simply because an email message was misunderstood and conclusions were drawn without ever asking if they were correct.

Linda Newman

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Verbal communication is a lost art. There is no longer any way to know whether or not you are being understood. There is no dialogue. I regularly receive e-mails with multiple questions. I have made up my mind that this is a not a way I will communicate. E-mail is sufficient for short, informational material. It does not replace the telephone or face-to face (remember that?) discussion. My 22 year old niece answers a text, my 42 year old nephew only corresponds with me if I send a private message on Facebook. I will not have long, complicated discussions with clients on e-mail, text, etc. It is too risky and I am in a risk business. We are all busy and taking shortcuts where we can; however, there is a price for that...

Erik Scheibe

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I worry less about our ability to speak to each other and more about people's need to speak to each other. It is the age of empowerment and people these days feel much more empowered when they don't have to say something to someone's face.

Vincent Serro

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As far as using texting or tweeting to communicate a painful message like I want a divorce; that's just cowardly. However, to defend texting, there are times when all you want to do is express a few words to someone vs. having a whole conversation. I do think kids take it to extremes.

Fred Klein

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There is no substitute for face to face!

Nancy Schess

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Absolutely none of my pet peeves. The art of communication has most definitely changed That said, some might try to convince us that we should "join them".

NULL

The answer is clear and not only by looking at our kids or 20-somethings. I have lawyers on my team in their middle to late 30s who have to get lectured to get their hands off their keyboards and get themselves on the phone or into someone's office. MDF

Corey Bearak

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Text and other social media are written; voice (not counting voice to text systems) not recorded allows for discussions of a more personal and discreet nature. There are times I email or text but make clear some items are for phone or in person chat. At the same time, I can text or email my wife or children or clients (and even my mom -- another story) while I may be in a meeting, on a train, bus, in a car (think Willburys when I remain unlikely to serve as "Wheelman"), thus avoiding "annoying" people with a chat.

NULL

What about listening?