Interpersonal Communication

Here is another interesting article by Charlie Cleaver about our growing obsession with electronic communication.
In the last few years, there has been an overwhelming emergence of electronically based communication between America’s youth. This, for many reasons, is not a good thing. In today’s world, kids and adults can carry out entire relationships without any type of personal interaction at all. Myspace, Facebook, chatrooms, email, twitter, and texting are all the rage it seems. Phone conversations are becoming a distant memory. This has several damaging ramifications. Without a decent understanding of how to meet someone and personally interact we are robbing individuals of the basic understanding of how to live, love, and build a real relationship with someone. When the youth of America begins to grow up, we can’t expect them to know how to conduct themselves in an interview. We also can’t expect them to be any type of a success in any job unless it is internet based. Kids are afraid to talk on the phone now. They would much rather tweet about their lives in a childish attempt at attention and hope to gain followers. This is now such an overwhelming issue, I am now uncertain how this will all come out. If we as a people restrain from a basic understanding how to build and keep a real relationship, then we may have some serious problems ahead. We need to encourage our youth to go outside once in a while and try and make friends, play sports, and volunteer. Selfishness is at the base of this entire problem. It may be more convenient for a child to talk to someone over the internet, but it is in no way better. This also leaves a child in danger of being a target of a sexual predator, not to mention identity theft. If an individual is not able to look someone in the eye, then there is not even the faintest glimpse of a friendship. Today, we can get online and read about John Mayer’s latest relationship problems, regularly announced on his myspace, which borders on the edge of stalking. We can also download a clip of famous ESPN anchor Erin Andrews’s nude in the privacy of her hotel room. These problems are all linked. There is no such thing as privacy in today's age. Encourage youth to get off the internet and go out and experience life. If this is not done more often, I believe things can only get worse.