Technology has grown leaps and bounds in the last decade– heck, even within the last five years. We get our news from it, we connect with our friends on it, we view restaurant recommendations and movie reviews, and also read books. Every year the tiny devices in our pockets can do more and more. Calendars, phonebooks, games, creativity outlets– there are many positive impacts technology has had on us.
Of course, like everything else, it should be used in moderation.
Becoming addicted to your cellphone can be a serious thing. The inability to disconnect from the constant notifications and always being “on” can leave people feeling burnt out. We aren’t meant to operate 24/7– we need downtime and rest! Not to mention, our time is precious, and we shouldn’t feel the need to stop and drop everything when a text pops up.
There is also something to be said of the nearly lost art of face-to-face communication. Whether it is with friends, families, or coworkers, we end up missing out on a lot of important things when we "communicate" strictly online.
Rather than in-person interaction, 33% of teens spend more time socializing with close friends online. [ X ]
So while connecting online can be nice and positive, we need more than that as humans.
Some conversations just can’t (or at least, shouldn’t) be done online. Sensitive subjects, things that need a lot of explaining, a venting session where you really need that empathetic response from another human. These are all things that are handled better face to face.
This is especially true when we bring emotions into the mix.
Many things can be misunderstood when speaking to someone. But imagine trying to broach that kind of subject through a text? One of those sensitive situations would be breaking up with a long-term partner over the phone– probably not the best way to do it.
Studies show that 93% of communication is nonverbal. The tone of voice, body posture, facial expressions, fidgeting or not, physical distance– these are all things that help paint the full picture of communication that we completely miss when it’s just done online.
Texts don’t have a tone!
And it isn’t just a text between friends– our business relationships do much better when physical communication is held as important or even essential. Some benefits (especially at work) of face-to-face communication are:
Easier to convince someone (of your side).
Stronger connections.
Better non-verbal understanding.
Quicker and more effective.
More team participation.
Now, not everyone is the same! Many people suffer from social anxiety and face-to-face communication can be difficult for them. Or it could be a subject/conversation that is extremely difficult to start. In these cases, you don’t always have to dive into an immediate physical conversation. Indeed, giving a notice or sending an email or text ahead of time can be beneficial (Z Form is the perfect tool for just that!) for both parties.
It’s like the introduction to an essay. It sets the tone for the conversation ahead and can help set boundaries or give more information before you start actually talking. It simply gets the ball rolling on a subject that may be a bit heavier than the usual. Z Form also has an extremely detailed guide to use so that no points will be missed, no misunderstandings made. If you’re not quite sure where to start it may be extremely helpful!
Once the ice is broken, then you can connect on a real level with that person. Your text tone won’t be misread, your points will make more sense, your body language will speak for you when words might fail.
Emojis can only convey so much!
Face-to-face communication is slowly becoming a lost art, but that is the very reason it is even more important to work on. At the end of the day, we all need human connection!