Has your shiny smartphone that you carry around actually made you smarter when it comes to communication or has it turned conversation into something absolutely difficult?
I picked this question as I turned to the last page of an interesting book on digital communication (Reclaiming conversation: The Power of Talk in a Digital Age by Sherry Turkle). With every turning page I felt connected to the realities of this new-found digital screen conversation. The book spoke to me as though it picked every single thought from my mind and put it into black and white prints right in front of my eyes. Though it resonated with my thoughts and came across as an interesting read, I felt an underlying question that seemed to bother me. A question that didn’t cause any major damage or need an immediate attention, but still one that kept me thinking for days on end. And as a self-confessed wonderer that I am (call it occupational hazard of playing with words); I was tempted to see if it relates to me in any way.
Has quick screen chat on ‘n’ number of easy communication apps made the job easier or has it made us hollow when it comes to live face-to-face talk?
Has it hidden our unpreparedness of speech under a convenient disguise of texts and letters or has it exposed us to the realities of not talking enough?
And finally, has it helped us understand the significance of heart-to-heart conversation with loved ones and the necessity of being in touch with everyone around?
I know these are lot of questions from one single book, but that is how it inspires us to relate with something in our own life. I do not intend to undermine the importance of screen chats in any way. If it wasn’t for these convenient apps, I wouldn’t be able to be in tune with my people all around the globe, while we battle the unavoidable reality of distance and time-zone. I wouldn’t enjoy the fun of sending messages in a group conversation hours and hours after the whole event as a self-confessed ‘tube light’ or writing about how I feel whenever and wherever it seems right. It is extremely important to connect over the convenience of screen chat to be in touch forever. So, in a nutshell, if we have agreed over the necessity of screen chats, where is the problem, you ask?
The hesitation arises if and when we are not able to articulate in real words, when it is easier to type out rather than speak for the lack of good medium. I do understand the subjective nature of this matter. It can mean different things in different situations. We cannot possibly dive into sensitive conversations about overly sensitive topics through digital means. But I do sense the overall convenience of hiding behind screen texts. It may communicate your thoughts without revealing the true context which can go one way or the other. It is difficult to express or rather quite unusual to convey what and how you feel if you are tuned behind the screen.
It only highlights the importance of a conscious thought behind our conversations. We cannot possibly shut our screens to talk to every single person face-to-face. For the convenience of time, it is necessary to turn to screen chats whenever and wherever possible, but not at the cost of spoiling the real bond. It is not necessary to treat every single thought as urgent and express it out into convenient messages. Let us keep the essence of real talk ‘real’ as much as possible. There is no right or wrong way to it. At the end, conveying the thought matters. How and when you choose to do it matters if the choice is yours in the first place.
We may not realize it but rising social awkwardness can be mapped to this comfort of online talk. Though social media platforms and instant messaging apps make it easy to reach out to someone, they cannot eliminate the warmth of live talks. It cannot grab away the sentiment of connecting to someone in real time. Live talks stand for being attentive to someone in the here and now. It means you are giving your moments of time then and there for your whole-hearted support.
One of the popularly considered conveniences of screen chat is the ability to multi-task. It makes it easy to do multiple things at once at your pace and your desire. But then, is it necessary to consider any and every kind of communication as a form of task? It arises due to our ‘always online, always connected’ syndrome, but is it good? Slowly and steadily, we may be moving away from the real essence of pure communication.
I realize some of these doubts may arise due to my growing affiliation for written words. While I find happiness behind the screen as part of the job, I may be moving away from live talks or it can be the other way. May be, I am overthinking about the distinction between these two forms of communication, when all that is needed is to put your words across- written or spoken, does not really matter.
This is when I will need you to step in – what is your take over screen chats and live talks? Does it matter or is it nothing to think about? Do pour in your feedback to my wondering mind because it truly helps -every single time! And on a parting note, I understand you will probably type in your thoughts but let’s agree to keep the irony aside, just this time.
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