Failure to Communicate

Are we so inept at communication that a punctuation mark is in need to denote sarcasm?

I know I have had times where it would be helpful, but buying it for $1.99, what a joke! Are we that bad at crafting sentences that we can’t convey the correct emotion? In a world of constant typing it seems we should be getting better at communication through typed messages.

Reading about the “SarcMark” made me think about how much of my serious communication happens through electronics, rather than face-to-face.

I have lost touch with personal communication.

However much I talk to people in person, know I am better at communicating through electronics. It’s sad, really. I feel that I should be more comfortable in face-to-face encounters, rather than experiencing my life through lines of text. Don’t get me wrong, I love interacting with my friends, but it seems so much easier to have a serious conversation in Facebook chat than in person.

No awkward pauses…

…I have time to collect my thoughts, word them correctly and send them at the perfect time. That is shameful. I think it should be the opposite, but with the constant presence of Internet communication and text messages, I guess it is logical.

A recent Kaiser Family Foundation study states, “Those ages 8 to 18 spend more than seven and a half hours a day with such devices” (smart phones, computers, and televisions). This doesn’t include texting or phone conversations.

This breaks down electronic usage.

Could these numbers really keep growing? The New York Times article said that researchers didn’t think it would continue to grow, but it did. So what is to stop it from growing more? It seems it will only go up with the constant release of new electronic devices.

The kids in this study aren’t college age, but I don’t think any of us think we spend less time than that using electronics. I know I use at least the quoted hours, maybe more.

Maybe everyone doesn’t struggle with having more serious conversations in person, but for me it’s harder in person. As far as I have seen, people struggle at conveying their thoughts in public.

Maybe we all just need to heed Woody Harrelson’s advice from Zombieland and “Nut up or shut up.”

Please excuse me while I go ask a girl out via text message.

-Evan