Without communication there is no life – at least, that’s my take.
Imagine if we couldn’t communicate with each other, how would we tell each about our experiences, pains and joys.
The way that we communicate has drastically evolved, through technology and self-representation.
Nowadays you don’t even have to say a word and the car and clothes you own sum up the person you are.
People are making statements through lifestyles and photos they post on social media.
Social media has made communication faster, easier and a bit elusive, depending on if what you communicating is real or not.
I can tell my high school friends that I’ve made it in life through a picture I post in a private jet sipping on expensive champagne, as opposed to having to wait for my high school reunion to boast about my achievements.
On the other hand, social media has made communication very efficient, so that you know exactly what the President is saying in the statement of the nation address.
If you told our parents about social media 20 years ago, I doubt if they would have thought that we could access information at the speed of a click.
On the down side, digital communication has made live interaction fade rapidly.
People don’t talk to each other anymore, they would rather text you or Whatsapp you to get the information across.
Dinner tables have gone quiet and fishing trips have become so boring, because keeping up with what your peers and favourite celebrities are up to is more interesting.
This behaviour also has a down side to it, children and their parents are no longer discussing issues of importance, because social media proves to be more engaging and informative than a chat with Dad.
Yes, we have to get with the times and choose easier and faster ways to get our thoughts, opinions and information across, but we should not forget about the basics.
Body language is also a mode of communication, but sometimes people tend to forget to check a person’s body language to understand what it is they are trying to say.
Through body language you can determine if people are saying good or bad things about you in a language you don’t even hear.
But we are so glued to our smart phones that the people in front of us don’t matter.
The other day I had coffee with my best friend and instead of us catching up as we planned to, we ended up sitting in silence and minding our social media pages and emails, so that we forgot we were supposed to be chatting.
Only a few minutes later we realised that we hadn’t touched base.
That’s the sad truth about our modern day communication, it’s convenient, but again it’s killing human interaction.
