I went to Verizon today because my family typed so many text messages last month that it added $40.00 to what I consider a ridiculously large phone bill. We call, we text, we send email, we IM or we use Google chat. But are we listening any better? When we use these tools at work while people are talking, are we listening to them? How many of you have had conversations and then aren't able to remember the topic?
I have to wonder if all these communication tools are helping us listen to each other. Or are we just talking at each other? Or is the answer, like to many other things, "It depends."
Thoughts?
Comments (3)
I don't often remember the telephone conversation I had with my Mom or brother, but I do feel better from having been connected. For me, IM, twitter, etc. are more like the telephone more often than not where the humanize my relationship more than digitize it. Sometimes these tools are used for "substantive" exchange relating to "business" - and I usually remember them. OK, I don't remember them either but that's a gray matter issue - what I do do is write it down, etc. :-) .
Posted by kevin | September 27, 2007 5:32 AM
Posted on September 27, 2007 05:32
Sorry, what did you say? I wasn't listening.
;-)
Posted by Beth | October 2, 2007 8:41 PM
Posted on October 2, 2007 20:41
I hear you (no pun intended)! When our cordless phones died at home, we never got around to replacing them. It's been over a year now, and now I don't think I want to:
We discovered without the convenience of the cordless phones, we are less likely to spend time on meaningless calls and more likely to either screen calls or get off the phone quickly. We spend much more quality family time at home this way!
Posted by Nikki Massaro Kauffman | October 15, 2007 3:01 PM
Posted on October 15, 2007 15:01