So, I am not even going to ask the question as to who has a cell phone but rather how often you use your cell phone. By 9.08 am this morning I sent and received 3 text messages. Yesterday alone I received 69 text messages and sent about 52. Allow me to check my call log.., since the new year has started I have reached my phones capacity to hold calls, conversations lasting from 7 seconds to 89 minutes. So, needless to say, I use my cell phone a lot… But what about you? Do you use it more than I do? Less?
On our most recent New Years Eve I was out at the lake. My dad was going to make a trek into Brandon Manitoba to check out some snow machines or something. I went along and just wasted the day away with my pops. On the way back we got into a pretty solid conversation. I can remember nearly it all to a tee yet one thing he spoke of blew my mind. He used the words ‘static medium’ in regards to human communication.
Say we have two individuals. You and I. In today’s world you could be in a extremely remote region and I could still have some sort of communication with you. Whether via satellite phone, text messaging, internet etc. There is no doubt that in almost any region that you wonder on the face of the earth I could still probably manage to communicate with you in some form or another. Now, where does ‘static medium’ come into play?
A medium is a way or means of expressing your ideas or of communicating with people (thanks to the dictionary for this one). And if something is static it means that it remains the same, that it is constant. My best definition of a static medium in regards to media is text based communication (either one or two way) in which each person can receive and perceive the information portrayed to them in whatever, which way they wish.
Case in (very exaggerated) point. You send me a text message reading “I hate you.” Now, how do I react?
1. I believe you. You actually mean that you hate me, and in fact I hate you right back. So much so that I will not even reply to your text.
2. I don’t believe you. I realize that you have a light hearted side to you and I assume that you are joking. I decided to answer your text with an “I love you too.”
No emotion is successfully transferred through simple static words, we lose the aspect of tone of voice and body language in their entirety.
The downfall of communication in our generation is simply called the SMS Text Message.
There is not a doubt in my mind that given a generation of children growing up with Msn Messenger, Facebook Chat and Texting that we will successfully breed a socially inept generation.
Think about it, for one more second. Ever had a fight over Facebook, Msn or Text? Would that fight have the same outcome if it were to happen face to face with that individual? Would that fight ever have happened if you were face to face with that individual? Tell me I am wrong…
It is pitiful to see what we have become, for someone to look down at their phone and receive a message of bitterness when they know full well that the sender would have never said what they just did face to face. It creates a persona of anonymity and cowardliness. When someone loses the ability to look another in the eye and tell them ‘what’s up’ we know we have a problem…
I’m not even sure how to even start combating this issue, but I think I may have come up with a few simple starter steps in minimizing the damage done by texting and other static mediums.
1. Limits… Only you know how much is too much. When texting is running you into the ground, or maybe when you have had a fight via text, give it a break.
2. Use a Phone… Your cell has more than one use… It is called a cell phone is it not? They why don’t you try using it… Using a phone will enable the ability to determine emotion by tone of voice, much better than reading into a text.
3. Confrontations Stay Away From Electronics… When you need to say something important to someone, grow some and do it. None of this ‘easy way out’ jazz. Do it face to face, don’t be stupid about it but be real and get your point across the way it was meant to get across.
4. One Simple Rule… If you wouldn’t say it to ones face… Then don’t say it over text.
I love hearing your thoughts, I encourage you greatly to leave a comment, as a writer there is nothing more satisfying then know that someone is reading your work and is taking time to ponder it.
