...is the importance to communicate well.
In a world where face-to-face communication is a lost art, society electronically communicates through e-mail, text messaging and Web sites such as Facebook. I am not ridiculing those students who prefer to speak through electronic means. I simply think people could communicate better than they are.
Don't get me wrong though - I am just as guilty.
I frequently use e-mail, send the occasional "what's up" text message and check Facebook in-between classes. After all, I am a Ball State University student. It's in my DNA right?
My problem is communication gets lost in translation over the Internet.
Most of us have probably received e-mails or text messages and haven't been able to determine the sincerity or sarcasm of the sender. Personally, I find this annoying.
I am not saying the only way we, as humans, can communicate is face-to-face, but we have to be careful when using e-mail and sending flirtatious comments on Facebook.
Yet I'll admit even when communicating in person we encounter problems, especially arguments.
The worst sort of conversations are arguments, and they are hard to tackle. What's the best way to manage a disagreement anyway? Ultimately, I don't think we can ever solve an argument but only manage one.
Take relationships for instance.
How many times have you and your significant other battled it out? What's the result - crying or throwing your fist into the wall? I'd rather not know the end result, but I can assure you we can all do a better job. We can start with respect though.
Besides, the greatest gift you can give another person is the purity of your attention. So listen! And if you truly value the person you are arguing with, you should find a peaceful way out.
Mainly I think the problem is our ability to see the other person's point of view.
Educational psychologist Jean Piaget believed children, beginning at the age of 12, could realize that their own feelings are not necessarily shared by others and may reflect personal opinion rather than reality.
In essence we have the ability to think logically and acknowledge other perspectives by the sixth grade.
British theologian Joseph Priestley once said, "the more elaborate our means of communication the less we communicate." That is the fundamental premise of this column: E-mail and text messaging may be convenient, but it doesn't necessarily make life easier. We should become less dependent on the Internet and increase efforts to communicate in person.
I may not have enjoyed taking Fundamentals of Public Communication at Ball State, but please take this class seriously.
Although speech class is boring it does serve some relative purpose, such as learning about body language.
Nonverbal communication is often underrated, but just think back to the last time you fell asleep in class and what your teacher's reaction was. Communication should not be taken lightly, and we should all try to better understand one another. Even in an argument.
Ultimately, I don't think e-mail and text messaging are necessarily bad; I'm just saying we have to be careful when doing so.
Sure we can communicate more conveniently using the Internet, but will it be effective? I'm not quite sold yet, but that's merely because I still prefer communicating face-to-face. Especially when asking someone out.
Jason Marer is a junior majoring in social studies education and writes 'Thinks to Exist' for the Daily News. His views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.
Write to Jason at jsmarer@bsu.edu
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