Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Digital Communication


Digital Culture

Galina

 

          I am Galina Rolf and I am a student at Reinhardt University.  I am a Global Communications Major.   I am interested in communications and the various ways that all cultures connect with each other.  This includes across cultures and within cultures.  I find cultural communication hard to keep up with.  I even have difficulties keeping up with the way communication has changed within my own life.

          I use various forms of digital communication in my everyday life.  Facebook is one of the methods of digital communication that I do not think I could live without.  I post my feelings which are represented in quotes that I post, it is the main form of communication that I use to connect with my friends and acquaintances that I would like to form a deeper relationship with.  I have friends, family, and even a significant other that require constant communication if I am going to maintain a positive relationship.  Even though Facebook is vital to the health of my relationships there are draw backs to this type of communication.  There are times when the written word lacks the emotion of the spoken word.  If I have just received a job offer, writing, “Guess what I just received a job offer.” Does not convey the emotion I felt when being offered that job.  Attempting to convey a deep love, caring, and empathy is not always possible in the written word, unless of course you are Nicholas Sparks.  The inflections of your voice, body language, and facial expressions are lacking when just using Facebook.  It is because of this that there are conflicts that can arise due to an inability to convey the true meaning of what is written.

                              Facebook Advantage and Disadvantages

          I also use texting in place of calling and communicating information to others.  I find texting invaluable in my daily life.  There are times when a telephone call to a friend or someone is necessary but it would be rude or inappropriate to call.  Example:  You receive a text from a family member which sounds like an emergency; you are in a public place and cannot talk.   It would be inappropriate to call unless you find the call absolutely necessary.  A text back can help you discern if a call is warranted.  Texting is fast and efficient.  Many times texting does not hold emotion and meanings can be misconstrued.  People feel anonymous and take risks with what they say and send.  Teenagers have been known to participate in sexting which has resulted in severe consequences.  In my hometown in one sexting scandal criminal charges were brought against the teenagers involved and one of the girls was so ashamed by the scandal that she killed herself.



          Finally I use Skype and others use face time to communicate face to face.  This is the best of all digital worlds.  You can see facial expressions, emotion is evident in their voice, and voice inflections can be used to make a difference in the words and meaning of the words.  The only sensory facility that is lacking is touch.  Conversations with Skype mimic face to face communication in most aspects.  The only problem is that at times the connection can be horrid.  The system might need to be rebooted on the sending and the receiving side.  The frustration of these technical difficulties at times can be annoying and influence the conversation.

 

What is Skype? — VoIP Supply


      I use many form of digital communication in my daily life.  Skype, texting, and Facebook have not only dramatically changed my life they have for the most part improved my life.  There are downsides to the many forms of digital communication but just as in verbal communication it is the communicator who is required to make sure that they use the communication tool effectively.

 

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