E-mail differs from ordinary conversation in a couple of ways. The most obvious difference between e-mail and personal dialogue has to be the fact that one is face-to-face, while the other is electronically conducted. The second difference that is easily identifiable is that when you are emailing someone you do not necessarily get all of the interactive, or nonverbal, aspects that come along with it. For instance, one of my high school buddies and I would constantly e-mail each other in order to keep in touch. Our e-mail interaction was one long string of words composed of our heartbreaks and joys. One day though, I said something rather sarcastically through an e-mail, which would have been considered offensive if I had not said it in that tone. Alas, there was no tone. It sounded serious, seriously insulting. She was upset, but then I explained to her our miscommunication. Thus, nonverbal interactive aspects are lacking in the realm of e-mail. E-mail and conversation do differ, and that is apparent from anyone who has utilized the two.
Next, I was pondering on the idea of what kind of influence e-mail has on social discourse, and I came to the conclusion that it has both negative and positive attributes. The author of “The Other Side of E-Mail”, Robert Kuttner, sides with the primarily negative impacts that e-mail has on personal interactions. But that is simply one-sided. He shines a slight speckle of light on the positive impacts of e-mail, but is biased in his opinion because of his numerous negative encounters. I do agree with certain aspects of his argument, such as how e-mail is something that is insistent. “All of a sudden, on top of everything else we have to do, e-mail is one more garden demanding tending” (Kuttner). This statement is something I think about all the time. There is so much I already have to do in my daily schedule, and checking three e-mails sometimes is a tedious and tremendous task. On the overlooked positive note, I have to say that e-mail has an extremely positive impact on society. E-mail allows for communication everywhere in the world, and not only that, but fast communication. It is not a letter that will take days to ship, and it is not a telephone conversation that can run off track and waste precious time. Moreover, it allows for one to check at convenient times, despite the idea that it takes up a lot of time. And it’s defiantly not like a screaming telephone. Without e-mail we could not do many things in our daily lives. On the whole, there are negative aspects about e-mail, but I think I’ll take my chances.
Now, thinking about how we converse with each other offline is drastically different from when we e-mail each other, but maybe not in the future. There are many different things that go into personal interaction, such as eye contact, facial expressions, body language, and tone, to name a few. All of these things are not depicted through e-mail, and they add a lot to a conversation. However, I feel that technology is growing so advanced that you can build a real relationship online. My best friend and I actually met through my online high school, and I feel as though our text messages and e-mails are just as fulfilling as face-to-face interactions. On a similar note, look at online dating services. People seem to be able to build working relationships with each other, and do not seem to be effected by the virtual world. I think that eventually people will not really be able to differentiate interaction between e-mail or internet resources and real interactions. Right now, people can still see a difference between online resources, like e-mail, and real life interactions, but eventually I doubt they will see the difference.
Next, I was pondering on the idea of what kind of influence e-mail has on social discourse, and I came to the conclusion that it has both negative and positive attributes. The author of “The Other Side of E-Mail”, Robert Kuttner, sides with the primarily negative impacts that e-mail has on personal interactions. But that is simply one-sided. He shines a slight speckle of light on the positive impacts of e-mail, but is biased in his opinion because of his numerous negative encounters. I do agree with certain aspects of his argument, such as how e-mail is something that is insistent. “All of a sudden, on top of everything else we have to do, e-mail is one more garden demanding tending” (Kuttner). This statement is something I think about all the time. There is so much I already have to do in my daily schedule, and checking three e-mails sometimes is a tedious and tremendous task. On the overlooked positive note, I have to say that e-mail has an extremely positive impact on society. E-mail allows for communication everywhere in the world, and not only that, but fast communication. It is not a letter that will take days to ship, and it is not a telephone conversation that can run off track and waste precious time. Moreover, it allows for one to check at convenient times, despite the idea that it takes up a lot of time. And it’s defiantly not like a screaming telephone. Without e-mail we could not do many things in our daily lives. On the whole, there are negative aspects about e-mail, but I think I’ll take my chances.
Now, thinking about how we converse with each other offline is drastically different from when we e-mail each other, but maybe not in the future. There are many different things that go into personal interaction, such as eye contact, facial expressions, body language, and tone, to name a few. All of these things are not depicted through e-mail, and they add a lot to a conversation. However, I feel that technology is growing so advanced that you can build a real relationship online. My best friend and I actually met through my online high school, and I feel as though our text messages and e-mails are just as fulfilling as face-to-face interactions. On a similar note, look at online dating services. People seem to be able to build working relationships with each other, and do not seem to be effected by the virtual world. I think that eventually people will not really be able to differentiate interaction between e-mail or internet resources and real interactions. Right now, people can still see a difference between online resources, like e-mail, and real life interactions, but eventually I doubt they will see the difference.
Works Cited
Kuttner, Robert. “The Other Side of E-Mail.” Exploring Language. Ed. Suzanna P. Chambers. New York: Pearson, 2010. 429. Print. 26 April 2011.
I also wrote a blog discussing e-mail and its impact on our communication skills. I agree with you that it has many positive and negative sides. Robert Kuttner also discusses the fact that e-mail is instant, and that this is a negative side of e-mail. He states that "with e-mail, it's too easy to hit the reply key, with results you may regret...e-mail is tone deaf and all too instant." I agree with Kuttner that this is a possibility, that we could accidentally send something we did not want to, or in our tendency to be quick, we don't proof read what we wrote, as we might have in the case of a letter, or think twice about saying something in the case of a face-to-face conversation.
ReplyDeleteNow, although he makes a good point, I will have to side with the positive things of e-mail and say that, if you do make these mistakes, then it is your fault. We need to be a bit more cautious when using e-mail and we will still be able to enjoy its benefits.
In terms of communication skills, however; e-mail is making an impact that I would not necessarily support. You are right when you say that we use so many different nonverbal ques and that with e-mail these are all eliminated. This can cause confusion and, as Kuttner recalls, quarrels. I don't think e-mail will ever go away, it will only become more advanced and we will have to see how well we adapt.
I agree that email can be beneficial when talking to someone who lives far away. I am not a phone person, so talking on the phone to someone can get boring for me, even if the person is family and I love them very much. With email's you can let them know how your doing and what is going on with your life. It is a way of updating each other on each other's lives and you do not have to waste any money on stamps that can add up. Also you are right about not having to wait for a letter to get somewhere and have to wait just as long for a response in the mail. I, on the other hand, prefer face to face conversations. Some poeple can do the online thing and it works for them. I cannot. I have a hard time getting things out and it making sense, so I need the facial expressions or the questions on peoples faces when I am talking to them. It lets me know they do not understand and I can explain a little differently to where they do understand. The advancement you talk about with emails and emotions, where people are able to build relationships online, is easy to see. Younger generations pretty much grew up with computers and use them well. I can see the advancment yet to come just by looking at the younger generations.
ReplyDelete