How the world converses today has been a regular discussion popping up in my life for the last few months. It's a bit funny how it is either increasingly on peoples minds or maybe just increasingly on mine.
We live in a world of twitter, facebook and other social networks, and texting, not to mention the more old fashioned methods of communication like emailing (yes, I'm now considering that "old" fashioned), letter writing and social calls.
What I see coming out of these newer forms of communicating is a weaker, more artificial form of relationships and an increase of rudeness and solidarity.
How can you build a relationship with others when you can only type 140 characters? Not possible...in my opinion.
Yes, facebook allows me to keep tabs on my kiddos and friends in Germany and other parts of the world. But honestly, it doesn't allow me to really know them and what I find is that the longer I'm perusing facebook the more I miss people because I'm not involved in their lives. The little snippets aren't enough.
Granted I understand that the little connections are good especially if that is all there is. But maybe that is me justifying not spending the necessary time to maintain meaningful connections and am instead settling for mediocrity.
I wrote a letter to some dear friends in Ohio last week. It felt strangely weird doing so. I used to love writing letters before I went to Germany but then the post in Germany was bit expensive and so I resorted to emails and broke my habit. But it felt nice to write down my thoughts with my friends and in my own handwriting. I think there is something special about snail mail and taking to craft a letter. And there's something even more special of sitting down face-to-face with someone and sharing thoughts.
Anyhow, here are some great articles that I have found on communication by Don Miller and Anne Jackson.
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