Do you like me? Check one:
_____Yes _____No
Things are so much simpler in writing, right? In our world of instant messages, email, text messaging, and such, we're able to communicate with (in this case) millions of people at lightning speed, potentially without ever laying eyes on another human being. And that's great, isn't it?
Let's revisit that junior high school note. I wrote a few of those in my time, with varying degrees of success. Other than emotional immaturity (compounded by fear of rejection and minimal self-confidence), there's further reason that notes like this are generate: It's much easier to hide behind the written word than have a face-to-face conversation.
My aunt has taught high school social studies and coached girls' golf for more than twenty years and has countless stories regarding this topic. Recently she told me about a girl who played on her golf team. At the end of the season, after reviewing the criteria for earning a varsity letter, my aunt noticed that a few girls had not earned the accolade. One girl's mother felt the need to write a four-page email to my aunt, describing the ways this "travesty" (yes, she wrote "travesty") would negatively affect her daughter for years to come. It was, according to this mother, embarrassing for her daughter not to receive the award despite not having achieved the necessary criteria to do so. My aunt placed a call to the girl's mother, hoping to explain her stance (which was supported by her school administration as well as the athletic director). When no one answered the call, my aunt left a message explaining the criteria and offering to meet with the woman if she so desired. The next day, another email from this woman, offering further complaints and threats of writing a letter for the local paper. At this point, my aunt realized she would meet with little success, so she forwarded this email to the athletic director, adding that she wished for him to deal with further interactions, which is what happened.
This mother is clearly afraid of personal interaction. She would rather hide behind a computer screen than speak to someone in person.
I had a recent conversation with another young woman about this, and she stated that when topics are more serious, she prefers email interaction over phone calls or face-to-face meetings. She continued by adding that typed or written responses give her more confidence in what she has to say, the opportunity to think more before responding. I stated that I felt this form of communication is less truthful, that an honest conversation with another human being should include body language, gestures, at least the sound of another voice. By the way, this "conversation" was initiated on AIM.
So what do you think? Have we become a society dependent too much on the written word? Have we forgotten how to communicate personally?
