Are You A Communication Lightweight?

Submitted by wendii on Tue, 08/10/2010 - 03:49.
in

In an article in August Wired magazine, Clive Thompson says that the phone call is dead. Apparently, the number of mobile phone calls we make each year is falling, since hitting a peak in 2007. Thompson says that phone calls are inefficient and deserve to die. However, the most interesting part of the article for me was this: "This generation doesn't make phone calls because everyone is in constant, lightweight contact in so many other ways: texting, chatting and social-network messaging".

It reminded me of the managers who say, I don't need to do O3's, I talk to my people all the time. The problem with that is, as Thompson says, it's a lightweight contact. It's 'how are you doing?' as we pass, with the expectation that the answer will be the socially acceptable, 'great' or 'fine'.

It isn't until we have 30 minutes of concentrated, one on one, uninterrupted time that the answer to 'how are you doing?' becomes 'I've got something to tell you', or 'Actually, I'm really struggling' or 'I have great news'. No one starts a meaningful conversation in passing. That's what O3's are for.

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Managergrl's picture
Submitted by Managergrl on Sat, 08/14/2010 - 15:58.

RE: Are you a Communication Lightweight

I absolutely agree.  Both at work and in our personal life, email provides the perfect shield.  No need to be cautious of seeing a reaction first hand, no need for an instant response, no worry about appearing nervous or disinterested.  Drives me mad seeing the number of times email is used in the coroporate world in which I work, to mask other more social deficiencies.

As to 1:1s, you're right - there is no substitution to dedicated discussion - without the interruption of email or messaging.  It takes a while to get to the good stuff in a conversation, the tricky challenges or issues that need to be addressed - and a hallway chat just doesn't do this.

http://www.managergrl.blogspot.com/

asteriskrntt1's picture
Submitted by asteriskrntt1 on Mon, 08/16/2010 - 04:03.

Of course mobile calls are down..

In North America, we pay way too much for our Mobile services.  And now that everyone has caller ID and voice mail, you can't get anyone to answer your calls.  Thus, people stop calling. 

I recently spoke with someone at the Cellular Telecom & Internet Association and he said in the last 3 years, call times have decreased from an average of nearly 3 min, 30 seconds to less than 90 seconds.  I am pretty sure this is not because we have less to say.

 

wendii's picture
Submitted by wendii on Mon, 08/16/2010 - 20:55.

Thank you for commenting!

@Managergrl I'm glad my comments stuck a chord with you.

@Asteriskrntt1 It's interesting isn't it? We still have so much to say, and yet we're not using the phone. Are we all communicating by twitter?

Wendii

stephenbooth_uk's picture
Submitted by stephenbooth_uk on Tue, 08/17/2010 - 13:39.

Reminds me of that BT advert

 This instantly reminded of the advertisement for British Telecom that is currently running on TV. 

For those who haven't seen it, it's part of an ongoing series of advertisements based around a couple (single man and divorced woman with two children) in a relationship and how the various BT products and services have improved their life and relationship.  Currently they are living apart because he has taken a job some distance from their home.  The latest ad opens with her son IMing with the man and asking if he'd spoken to the mother recently because she's acting weird.  He replies that they speak all the time, cue montage of them communicating via IM, facebook, email and text message.  He then goes to send her a message via Facebook but stops uttering the fateful phrase "It's hard to have a heart to heart when it's screen to screen!" then calls her on the landline.

A lot is lost when we communicate via a pure text medium like IM, email, Twitter, SMS &c.  Even the best communicator amongst us has probably at some time or another had an email or SMS misunderstood (or at least differently understood) because the vital tone of voice or facial expression wasn't there.  Meeting face to face can be vital, especially where you don't know the person very well, indeed it's the best way to get to know the person well enough that when you do communicate by text the probability of misunderstanding or unintentional offence is massively reduced.

That said, the only person I've found who asks "How are you?" and expects an answer other than "Fine" is my doctor on those rare occasions when I go to see him.

 Stephen

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