Our generation is incredibly lucky. We have so much technology and many methods of communication that allow us to get in touch with people in a matter of seconds. While this is certainly beneficial, and I would not want it any other way, I made a change in how I communicate with people a majority of the time, and I encourage you to make this change too.
When people say that they are “talking” to someone, are they really talking? Probably not. They are most likely texting, snapchatting, or communicating in another similar form. While it is convenient and helpful to send someone a quick text, it is not really talking. When I was in seventh grade and I had my first boyfriend, we would spend hours on the phone “talking.” We were not actually talking; we were texting - there is a difference! One day, my parents said that I could not text him for more than fifteen minutes a day and, if I wanted to communicate with him more, it would have to be over the phone. I was not happy about this! Fifteen minutes seemed like barely any time and I did not like having this limitation. Soon after, I realized that my parents were on to something. I ended up loving the time spent talking on the phone. Receiving voicemails was so exciting and I enjoyed having real conversations much more than I liked sending hundreds of text messages back and forth. I liked my parents’ “rule” so much that I incorporated this new idea into many of my relationships. I called old friends on the phone, and I asked friends to FaceTime when we started texting. All in all, hearing my friends’ voices or communicating with them face to face was much more rewarding and meaningful than through screens. Something else that I have noticed when communicating with teens my age is that when we are together in-person, snapchatting, going through Instagram, and social media notifications can get in the way of our time together. Even when this does not happen to me personally, I have observed it at school events and at restaurants where groups of friends are at dinner tables together - so many people are on their phones! When people are on their phones while they are with others, they are not being completely present. In my opinion, time with other people is some of the most special time there is. When I am out with friends or family, I try to put my phone in my bag and do not look at it until I return home or am alone. I always end up enjoying myself much more when I do not look at my phone. The tendency to look at your phone when you get a notification is normal - notifications are there to try to get you to go on your phone - and wanting to send someone a text when you have something to say is completely understandable - it is so convenient! What I hope is that this post will shed some light on my perspective on communication and how our phones are not always helpful when interacting with others. Do you prefer texting, FaceTiming, or calling your friends? Are you someone who likes to be on your phone when you are out with people or do you put it away? Regardless of your preference, maybe we can all try to be more cognizant of how we communicate with others. Are you texting or talking? Are you listening to what someone is saying or are you more focused on what someone snapped you? Let me know what your thoughts are on this topic in the comments below! I would love to hear what you think and hear your perspective on texting and other forms of communication.
2 Comments
Ian Rubin
10/27/2020 05:36:11 pm
Very true, I enjoy ft much more than texting
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Real and Relatable (Madeleine)
10/27/2020 09:27:59 pm
Yay, me too! I am glad to hear it. Thank you for commenting.
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AuthorLover of adventures, traveling, family time, fashion, soccer, writing, and more, Madeleine is giving you all the real and relatable content you have been looking for. Archives
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