I know we live in an age of social media and whatnot, and the world is wild; everyone is busy and feels like they are moving in one million directions. People often do not slow down enough to practice common courtesies, especially regarding communication.
Talking on your phone when someone else is trying to converse with you.
Not saying thank you when someone does something nice for you (like holding the door open).
Not looking people in the eyes because your head is down on your phone.
Multitasking/distractions during a meeting or date.
Texting has obliterated the art of conversation.
Text messages have replaced phone calls, in-person meetings, and dating. Now you can send a text message to your crush as quickly as you'd order takeout food through an app on your smartphone or tablet. While this is convenient for many people, it also comes with consequences: texting lacks etiquette or respect for others' time and feelings--and it's easy to forget that there are real people on the other side of those screens!
Ironically, phone calls are considered more personal than text messaging, but they are not. Texting is a tool for communication, not a replacement for human interaction. Phone calls can be made or received at any time of day without much effort on your part (and most phones have a built-in answering machine). Texts arrive only when you want them to--you don't have to worry about waking up someone who needs rest because they're sick or tired from work.
Phone calls also allow us to connect in ways we wouldn't otherwise be able to through written words alone: inflections in our voices convey emotion; facial expressions can say more than any sentence ever could; body language helps communicate meaning without having to say anything at all!
Texting is impersonal and requires no effort from the sender to express their feelings or attention to detail. It is easy for someone to text you without thinking about what they say or how it will make you feel. Texting requires no thoughtfulness or consideration because it's all done via text message, which removes all human interaction from the equation.
You know, the person who texts you instead of calling you. The one who wants to avoid meeting in person would rather text than meet face-to-face. They're probably not even dating anyone right now--and if they do, it's only because their partner can't stand them either.
It's a shame that so many people have come to rely on texting as their primary means of communication with others; it's like they don't want anything beyond words on a screen--no voice inflection or facial expression, or body language! It makes sense, though: If someone's never heard your voice before (or seen your face), they won't realize how annoying it is when you talk too fast or breathe loudly through your nose while chewing food loudly...
Texting is impersonal. You can't see the person you're texting with, so it's impossible to know their mood or tone when they reply. When we talk face-to-face with someone, we can tell if they are happy or sad based on their facial expressions and body language; but when you're texting someone you don't know well enough to read those signals yet (or at all), it's hard not to feel like all your messages are being read by robots!
Texting also lacks depth: there's no way for two people who don't know each other very well yet--and especially if those two people aren't talking face-to-face--to get into anything meaningful over text message because there's no way for either party involved in this "conversation" (if one could even call it that).
Texting is NOT a substitute for talking with people face-to-face. If something essential needs saying, pick up the phone and call them instead of sending them an impersonal text message (or email). You'll avoid misunderstanding and miscommunication altogether.
Texting is an excellent tool for communication, but there are others. If you use your phone as an excuse not to talk face-to-face with people, you're missing out on all kinds of opportunities for human connection. Texting also lacks civility, etiquette, and manners, meaning it's time for us all to take a step back from our phones to reconnect in person!
Let's start a movement - call a friend or loved one today or someone you have been texting about a date! Your voice is your art of communication.
xoxo
Erin