Texting and email have made cowards and butchers of us all!
– John Gualtieri
I am a big fan of technology, but I have become very selective about what technology I use, and how I use it. When email first came onto the scene, I was entirely enamored with it. I thought, “Wow, I can communicate with people, and not have to chase them down by playing phone tag!” And then texting came along and I had the same infatuation with it as I had with email.
Today, both texting and email have decimated most of the communication among us – at least in my experience. We somehow have concluded that texting and email are appropriate any time we have the need to connect with someone, regardless of the subject matter. The truth is, that unless we want to make a deliberate effort to create misunderstandings (many of which can be very emotionally charged), it’s a very bad idea to use these forms of communication as our default. And this problem is further exacerbated because we have arrived at a place wherein the English language is being butchered, and without mercy!
People end relationships via texting, businesspeople will conduct delicate negotiations via email, and when couples are arguing, they will engage in “texting wars.” I firmly believe we have now been programmed to take the most expedient, rather than the most effective manner of communicating with one another. The fact of the matter is that many times a phone call is in order, and at others, a face-to-face meeting will yield the best outcome.
Let’s face it, ending a relationship via text or email is nothing less than cowardly; and conducting business negotiations via email is not only stupid, it is the currency of lazy and careless individuals. And I won’t even comment about couples that air their marital grievances via text.
My “favorite” experiences are marathon texts, and after that, it’s group texting. If we feel compelled to write a short story via text, versus picking up the damned phone, we might want to revisit that choice. And if we decide to engage in a group text, we should be prepared to set several hours aside for the party! And by the way, if you disagree with what I’m attempting to convey here, “U R CRZY!”
Can I truly be an excellent communicator if texting and email are the only means of communication that I’m willing to use?
© John G. 2021
