Communication Series : Technology, a blessing or a curse

Technology they say has propelled us in the right direction, sadly we have lost touch with certain parts that make us human.

I remember when my friend sent me a message saying " so you can't check up on me, you can't pick my calls ? Answer me" first thing that came to my mind was why is this one fighting? Later on I realized that she didn't mean it in the tone I read it. The cellphone might be a sharper and faster mode of communication but does it actually pass on the message? 

The world has made it easy with Whatsapp, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, LinkedIN and many more. Truth be told none of this equals actually CALLING and hearing the VOICE of the other party, none is as strong as actual PHYSICAL CONTACT! many of us have lost simple communication etiquette due to this. Can anything be done to remedy this? 

Firstly, we need to get rid of PROXIMITY WITHOUT PRESENCE. It's easy to see a family relaxing in the living room and everyone is busy on their gadgets. They are close together but they  don't communicate. Everyone is busy chatting, calling, tweeting. The next time your with your family or your Significant Other take note of how much time is spent on gadgets. You will be surprised what you will notice. 

SECONDLY, the importance of Saying Sorry. When you hurt someone, it's easy to leave chat and later on just message like nothing ever happened. many of us believe we should just move on from the scenario, little do we realize the scars of our action still resents in the victim. Learning how to apologize isn't a sign of Weakness, on the contrary it is a sign of strength. It takes guts and letting go of pride. When next you owe someone an apology don't "text" it, Say it! It shows sincerity and remorsefulness. 

The Generation of today have issues with expressing how they feel. You hear phrases like "and everything" " you get" "he was like", " Cash me Ousside" this isn't proper expression. The lack of actually speaking and spending more time texting has a negative effect on many of us. When you can't express yourself you have issues with letting the other side understand your point of view. This is why parents have more fights with their kids, husbands with wives and even bosses with their surbordinate.

An English Lecturer once said the problem with the essays of the youth today is they fail to differentiate chatting from actual composition. You see individuals in the office, in projects typing words like "tym", "wat" "GM ( means good morning". This isn't adequate. Communication is not just speaking out but writing or typing properly.

Are you still having doubts as to how you use your gadgets? Answer this question; if you see a fire outbreak or a robbery or a car jacking what will be your first reaction? Is it recording the incident, posting it on snapchat and showing friends or actually using the phone to CALL the appropriate authority? 

The world we live in today is so competitive. Only the best survive. Although Technology came to improve our way of life, it should not be used for self destruction. Take time out to ask yourself  'Is Technology  aiding my communication or depleting it?'