by Rodolfo N. Lentejas, Jr.

Created on: May 18, 2008   Last Updated: December 30, 2009

The following are the sharp differences between personal and electronic communication.

In personal communication the “presence” of both the first person and the second person (or the sender and the receiver as elements of communication) is in itself a “communication.” It is true that we can judge a person if he is happy, sad or sick by just looking at him or her, because by mere facial expressions, appearance and gestures, a variety of non-verbal messages and emotions can be seen. Bringing them all together as a whole, we can come up with a unique message despite the absence of any verbal declarations. But in electronic communication, unless the second person verbalizes what he or she feels by using the medium of electronic communication (calls, text messaging, chat, email, etc.) the first person is clueless as to what is going on inside him or her.

This is a disadvantage.

When we are face-to-face with the person we are talking to, a variety and endless exchange of ideas could happen without the haste and pressure on both parties. But this is one of the disadvantages of personal communication. There comes a time when even the first person and his or her message are rendered meaningless and unimportant due to everyday exchange of ideas and constant meetings.

Out of this disadvantage in personal communication, there’s one good advantage that can be attributed to electronic communication. Since there’s a limited offer of time and availability of both parties (sender and receiver), these parties themselves learn to maximize time and appreciate the limited availability of electronic communication.

But in the end, electronic communication, no matter how effective it may be, is still limited.

The visibility of actions and physical reactions during intimate conversations augment the couple’s knowledge of themselves and this ultimately leads to the deepening of the relationship. It is true by experience that actions speak even louder than any verbal expressions. But in electronic communication, since the message is confined in words and voice, the absence of physical reactions creates a certain amount of gap or wall between the sender and the receiver. This is a disadvantage because the message can sometimes be interpreted fully in its totality, which includes the reaction of the sender himself or herself.

There’s nothing more intimate than talking to our loved one in our most private moments in a place of our choice. This is one good advantage of personal communication. In electronic communication, privacy is endangered, as electronic leakage is rampant nowadays.

While personal communication is zero maintenance, electronic communication, on the other hand, always involves money in whatever form of it.

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