Is Conversation Dead?

[krantcents]

Conversation, talking to another person(s) face to face! Is it dead? Twitter, email, Facebook and other social networking tools is making conversation obsolete. Is it a time or geographical issue? I expressed my opinion on my blog, if you are interested. What do you think?

[Joan.of.the.Arch]

Well, coming to this forum and suggesting that we take the conversation to your own blog seems a little unaware of how good conversation works. One doesn't just go to the neighbor's party, and try to convince their guests to come to your house to chat there instead. It's one thing to have your blog link in your signature, but quite another to grab the guests here by the lapels and ask them to come to your place.

...So, how's the family? You gettin' by in this weather okay?....

[Mr Nice Guy]

No one said you had to go to the damn blog....chill out.

I chimed in on your blog about it a few days ago. But the overlying issue is technology. It is a double-edged sword at times. Yeah it is great to be able to use Facebook and Twitter, but at what point does it take the place of primary communication (phone call, face-face, etc?)

As with everything in life, a happy medium is necessary. I used to be on FB, but then I found myself looking into people's lives more than what would be considered constructive. On the contrary, without technology, all of us would not be here, sharing our ideas and methods for good finances.

Hi, my name is Chuck and I am a recovering FB addict

[disneysteve]

Conversation isn't dead and technology hasn't made it obsolete. Conversation has just evolved and changed with the times. I keep in touch with friends and family far more often today than I did 5 or 10 years ago thanks to e-mail and facebook and online chats and cell phones with unlimited call time including long distance. Years ago, like when I was in college in the 1980s, if I wanted to contact someone, I usually wrote a letter. That took time to write. Then I had to mail it and wait for the person to receive it and write back. So it might be a couple of weeks between when I wrote and when I heard back. Phone calls weren't an option most times due to the cost. Today, if I want to contact someone, I can call them, text them, e-mail them, message them on facebook or chat in real time if they happen to be online. There is even video chat, technology that was predicted decades ago and is finally now coming to be in common usage.

I think conversation is alive and well, better than ever.

[krantcents]

Thank you. I was just trying to start a thread about something I am observing in society.

[krantcents]

I agree with you, however I see a lot of young people (teenagers) only using technology for socializing.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by krantcents

I agree with you, however I see a lot of young people (teenagers) only using technology for socializing.

Being the parent of a teenager, I know what you mean, but I don't think it is as bad as it seems. When I was a teen, I would call one friend on the phone and talk. If I had some interesting or exciting news, I had to tell each person individually. Today, however, my daughter can be online with 3 chat windows open carrying on 3 conversations at once. Or she can be texting back and forth with 2 or 3 people at once. When something interesting happens, she can "tell" all of her friends at once by posting it as her facebook status, and her friends can all respond publicly.

As much as I sometimes share your view, I also see how today's kids are really just as social, if not more so, than I was at their age.

Heck, every day I carry on conversations with dozens of people whom I've never even met, like you.

[luckykate]

I'd say people are becoming a lot more reliant on online social websites and devices lately. It of bugs me, except I myself do use these tools, and am posting on a message board right now. hehe

I hate how a lot of people I know use cell phones/texting as a crutch for their tardiness. It's as if it makes being late more acceptable since instead of waiting 30 minutes in suspense, they can text me 10 minutes after the agreed meeting time to say they'll be late.

[justinblake]

Conversation is still alive. the technology we have now is just taking it to the next level. IMO.

[bjl584]

When I was in Grad school a couple years ago someone did a presentation about this subject. There is some truth to the fact that younger people are relying more on technology to talk to one another (computers, texting, etc.) than they are face to face. Often, younger people don't even want to talk on the phone. They would rather text.

The concern was that once these people enter adult life, they will be unable to effectively communicate with others in a face to face manner. This may have an impact on business, and in their own personal life. I guess time will tell if that is true.