The birth of the Short Message Service (SMS), email and instant messaging (e.g MSN) allows communication between two parties via a process called texting. It is basically the modern form of snail mail where other person receives the desired message almost instantaeously. However, with such convinence comes unforseen trivial issues. These messaging systems then turn into routine daily conversations, to a point where it starts to replace face-to-face conversations. Unlike talking to a person physically, these messaging process does not allow emotions to be felt or seen. Words are replacing feelings thus, how the person truly feels becomes lost in cyberspace. A person typing 'HAHAHA' may be laughing either sincerly or sarcasticly. This would be impossible to interprete as the reciever is unable to hear the speaker's tone. Non-verbal communication plays a crucial role to a person's attempt of protraying his feelings and as such, misinterpretation of a subject occurs. Arguments may arise as both sides may not know if the other is joking or serious. Words are made of alphabets stringed together to form meanings but it does not display emotions.
To make situations worse, limits for facial expression may also cause the other party to wrongly judge a person's feelings in a discussion. Facial expressions are basically known to give honest opinons of how one truely feels. Eye contact is important in communication as it allows an intimate connection to be form, speaking far more than words itself. The lack of such visual aids in instant messaging would as such, allow more misinterpretation opportunities. One would also be unable to tell if a person feels angry or joyful when the other tries to emphazize his or her feelings with the usage of exclimation marks. What the reciever may interprete though, would be the sender's sudden outburst of emotions, which may not necessarily be accurate.
With that, despite the convinences of instant messaging, it too has its limitations. Misinterpreting messages may not seem severe on the surface but has the ability to be deadly on a much higher level when lives are involved or at stake. A trial case of falsely accusing an innocent victim due to misinterpretation would be an example. Hence, it is important to elimate possibilities to such occurances to the best of one's ability to prevent such misfortunes.
Absolutely true ! The texting fuction on handphones (sms) i find is very useful in many ways. Small reminders for example can be delivered to the intended person without having to call and its cost efficient.
ReplyDeleteHowever like you mentioned feeling cannot be expressed. Details like mood,tone etc, are unable to be expressed and this can be risky especially when it comes to relationships for example. The recieving party unable to tell these details inadvertently has to infer the emotions of the text. This alone if infered wrongly can stir up unwanted misunderstandings which nobody wants.
I agree. it is indeed useful when it comes to small reminders without the need to much emotions.
ReplyDeleteHello!
ReplyDeleteYup i totally agree to that. SMS is a very useful technology of convenience. But may prove otherwise when trying to convey a message in a certain tone.
Especially many people who are straight to the point in their texts, may often be misinterpreted as mean. This compared to those who fill up 3 quarters of their texts with smiley faces(:
So yea I agree its useful for instances like reminders. But that very reminder may even sound like a warning if phrased wrongly in an SMS!
Marilyn,
ReplyDeleteYou raise very good points. While we should not prevent technology from helping us to progress, we should not allow it to completely take over our lives. We should control it and not let it run our lives.
One of the biggest problems of the modern means of communication that you raise is that it makes relationships less personal when we become wholly dependent on technology. You rightly point out that we can never know if the other person is sincere or sarcastic when he sends a smiley emoticon.
SMS and emails are okay when we need to send a quick note to someone, but when there issues that affects a person’s relationship with another person, the honest face-to-face meeting is still the best way to go because it allows us to judge the other person’s feelings and reactions to what we have to say.
i think that as time passes and through greater interaction with a particular person, his way of communication will become more clear to the other. For example, as A talks to B more, A will be more attuned to the way B texts, and thus be able to decipher if B is just joking or being serious.
ReplyDeleteyet i don't deny that there has been many a time when misunderstandings have arose due to wrong decoding in the text. especially in the non-verbal cues such as tone and facial expression.
Probably that's why i prefer meeting and chatting over a cup of coffee to mere texting. However, these channels of communication have also allowed people who are more visual to work more efficiently, and those who are unable to voice out their opinions in front of everyone to do so on these platforms. Expressions and declarations of emotions are difficult for some people and they turn to these channels to help them reach out to the other party and allow the other party to understand them better.
I think modern methods of communication should be taken in the right context. It is efficient and fast, and can get things done quickly. But there is a danger it will put us out of circulation in the real world if we become so bogged down with it that stops us from going out to meet people.
ReplyDeleteThere is also the danger that we may never be able to find time for ourselves and relax because we are contactable 24 hours a day and reply every message. Electronic communication must never be allowed to rule our lives and prevent us from meeting people face to face and build real interpersonal relationships.
I definately have to agree on having to be available 24hours a day. 99% of the time, an sms sent is definately recieved on the other end. No replies may signify ignorance and be weaken relationship and misunderstandings may arise. The need to constantly reply to such sms-es may seem annoying at times like these where people feel like they do not have enough time for themselves as their lives and constantly surrounded by the needs of others. Although i do have to point out that sms-es are generally very useful for quick important updates such as time and place of meeting, especially when the person may not be by his phone at the point in time.
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to interpret what anyone really feel just be reading their sms or email. I think we tend to be either too bold or too careful when we are sending this kind of messages because we don’t care or afraid how the other person may react when they receive them. Matters that can affect the emotions should be handled in a meeting, not through emails or sms.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Marilyn. There are not a few people who take advantage of sending sms and emails to hide their true feelings. In the long run, it will have the potential effect of turning such people into introverts, too afraid to express themselves genuinely in front of other people. It will affect the way they interact with people in real life and it will become a real handicap in forming real relationships.
ReplyDeleteAlthough I agree with you that SMS-ing has really unpersonalized the way we communicate, i don't only think that it is solely SMS that is to blame. In my opinion, its the whole new level of technology albeit online chat, or like commenting on a blog post like so. There are always two sides to every coin and unfortunately as much as techonogy has helped very much to create a better living envrionment
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