Texting Killed the Voice Call

I finally after resisting it had to break down and text people. It's an interesting floodgate. Once I started doing it, all of my clients and friends must have picked up on the text vibe ... she's texting now let's text her. So, now everyone is texting. Texting has even taken on a form of courtship (among other things). I recently got a surprise text from a male associate out of nowhere. I was surprised to even hear from him. And the texts weren't about work. He was asking me how I was doing and that sort of thing. Pretty soon the texts got a little "flirty" (not really a word) and it dawned on me, this is the new form of the "phone call." Men don't call women anymore. They text them. Think about it. It's almost safer, right? You don't have to face rejection with an actual voice. I also noticed texts are a great way to avoid real conversations, period. Need to talk about something difficult, let's text and that really limits the conversation to how fast your finger can move on the keyboard. I personally think all cold media (email and text) are dangerous forms of communication. Text and email (and messaging for that matter) are "cold" media -- no tone, intonation, or room to fully explain. You can be totally kidding in a text and it can fall painfully flat. When you're working with a client, be careful with texting. Text is good to do something like schedule a conference call or meeting, but that's about it. Do not carry your full interactions on in text message. Mark my words, it will cause way more heartburn than it is worth and actually create unnecessary problems where none exist. Email carries the same issues, but you do have more room to express your thoughts. Balance it all out between the phone, email and text. You know what they say, all things in moderation.

Comments

  1. Email can be cold media, yet in some cases it definitely is not. Think about what highlighting, bold, caps, italics, and punctuation can do to written text -- how you use text formatting in writing. I recently worked on a project with someone whose emails tied me in knots (and conjured tears on occasion) despite my pretty thick skin. Had "Tim" not used typographical enhancements to emphasize points, the words may have seemed "cold" or free of feelings. Text formatting transformed simple words into emotional, personal, and, at times, downright cruel messages.

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  2. Hi Cindy!

    How the heck are you up in Oregon.

    Yes, people feel freer to unleash their inner nastiness in cold media because they don't have to face the consequences of hearing or seeing your reaction. It puts a veil between you and the other person, which inadvertently gives some people permission to get ugly. I prefer to keep serious discussions to at least the phone so it can be discussed vs. "flamed" ... so good, valid points girlfriend!

    Michelle

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