Technology like radio, television, the Internet, I-pods,and texting have impacted the decline of conversation in many homes. Communication is through artificial support systems like email, cell phones, computerized messages and answeringmachines to name the most frequent offenders. The lack of conversation is also influenced by the rapid pace life styles we live today. We work, go to classes, the gym, the children's activities, we have hobbies like sportingevents. We have drive time or travel time to and from work and events. The hours spent getting to and from work to home as well as the myriad of other activities people participate in also drastically affects our communication through the art of conversation.
Webster describes conversation as the informal and, usually, friendly exchange of views and opinions by speech. The key words here are"usually friendly"; we have become a society that shares our opinions and views with anger, outrage and yelling.
Children often shout ot scream to get attention because they are seldom involved in inter-active communication. Often they learn from television and games, movies and radio not from adults having conversation with them. We hear teachers tell children to use their inside voice; perhaps we should exercise using inside voices as well when we communicate with each other.
In homes all over the world our technology has given rise to less conversation and more confrontational exchanges because of the interference of the various electronic devices that replace friendly conversation. People turn on the television and tune out their families and friends. Young people put on head phones and get lost in their music or games avoiding as much contact and conversation with adults as possible. Speech has not changed, we still use our vocal cords just as our ancestors did and like our ancestors language has continued to evolve.
Today our language is evolving into tweets, texts and symbols. Body language is a form of communication sometimes used communicate in order to avoid conversation.The media, government-pundits and people find more and more ways to twist the meaning of words or create new words entirely. Our peopleabbreviate words to communicate through text such as LOL, meaning laugh out loud. In this case we are losing more than just the art of conversation we are losing the spelling of the words.
A conversation should be a wonderful time to express your views and ideas with a friend or loved one or business associate but often you are competing with a phone, computer, television or radio. Technology allows people to avoid talking to someone directly. While they avoid attempts to communicate face to face through actual conversation it is possible the leave a message on the answering machine or cell phone often brief and to the point. Folks are putting off conversation and communication as they rush to the next place always in a hurry. Instead of conversation they use some electronic message device to let another party know they will talk later. Frequently, later never comes.
Families are torn apart, marriages destroyed and businessesfail from lack of communication. The art of conversation is not well! The capability of speech alone will not make conversation as people often communicate with noises rather than words. Grunts, groans and sighs rather than words are used to acknowledge or nods rather than sound have replaced the thoughtful words that convey you have heard and comprehend what another person has just said. Sometimes it is all facial expressions, body language and hand or finger gestures that are used because of the emotional trauma that trying to have a conversation makes for people.
Turn off the devices and tune into each other. Enjoy a friendly conversation with someone. Sit down, face each other and share your hopes, dreams and plans without the background noise and distractions of television, radio, games or loud music. Listen and learn about each other. Conversation is a lost art but we can find it again if we try.