AMG's Blog

What is a blog, really?

That is a question I am asking myself now that it is my turn in the AMG Creative writing rotation.  Let me start by telling you a little about myself. My name is Terry Fine and I play the role of VP Business Development. Being a small agency, that only describes one aspect of my daily activities, but I digress.

I am now 41 and have had the privilege of living during a period of phenomenal technological transformation. Many of you out there recall what an evolution of communication took place when the fax machine was introduced.  Curly thermal transfer paper and all, this device provided a revolutionary way to quickly transport documents.  So, is a blog a revolutionary way to transport thought? One could argue the point, but let’s save that for another day.

What I really want to blog about today is what I view as a possible negative side effect of technology. What might that be, you ask?  How about the lack of social (not to mention spelling) skills being developed in our youth.  Today’s kids would rather send text messages than pick up the phone. You probably have all seen the commercial where the family is sitting around the table texting each other. Sad.

We are developing a nation of kids that lack the ability to have meaningful, face-to-face conversation. Non-verbal communication in the form of gestures, posture and facial expression can make up a large part of the message. A classic study done by UCLA’s Albert Mehrabian in 1971 indicated that up to 93 percent of communication effectiveness (certainly not this high of a percentage all the time or in every context) is determined by nonverbal cues. This is completely lost in certain technologies. I fear that the next generation will not know what it is like to engage in meaningful conversation and enjoy the type of connection that emanates from that.

I do not come to these conclusions lightly, as I am the father to three kids, 8, 11 and 14. I see it first hand with my oldest child. She would rather text than pick up the phone and talk to her friends. Perhaps you have been the recipient or know someone who has received the text or e-mail message that contained statements that you know the sender would have never spoken in a face-to-face situation.

Perhaps I am just missing the point, as my daughter will say. While technology is a wonderful thing and has many positive impacts on our daily lives, let us not forget the importance of a good ol’, sit down face-to-face conversation.

The importance of verbal communication is not limited to our personal lives, either. It takes on added significance in the business world. When was the last time you picked up the phone to thank your customer for their business? Give it a try. Not only will your customer appreciate it, but it will help you connect with your client and develop a stronger business relationship that would be, quite frankly, unachievable via text messaging or e-mail. 

So, if you would like to enjoy a good old fashioned, face-to-face conversation over a hot cup of coffee, please feel free to stop by. Of course, I will probably be on the phone, but you can text your buddies while you are waiting!  

This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 9th, 2008 at 11:57 pm and is filed under Recent, Terry. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.