Our World: Too Much Technology or Not Enough?
Have you ever been out to dinner and looked around? What are people holding in their hands as they wait for food? Are people talking? I have seen restaurants full of technology. I have seen groups not say a word while they stare at their phones.
I am fortunate enough (sometimes) to have a mother who enforces conversation and makes sure our dinner table is a strict tech-free zone, leading to some hilarious conversations at dinner. Although my mother has stressed a tech free zone in a teenage social environment, I have learned through research that technology also has a negative impact on adults in work environments. Overall, face to face conversations are the start to stronger relationships in all environments (work, love, and friendship) and lead to improvement in the work arena.
According to Ulrich Kellerer, a leadership expert, international speaker, and author, “When it comes to effective business communication, over reliance on technology at work can be a hindrance, especially when it ends up replacing face-to-face, human interaction.” An increase in communication in a workplace is known to have positive impacts. Therefore, companies should promote and enforce face-to-face communication.
Speed and efficiency is the main reason people have chosen technology in the past over talking in person. They believe it will help improve the efficiency of any business operation. However, I have been told many times “quality over quantity”. The quality in which you complete something should be your main priority, no matter how much longer it takes. Overall, even though face to face conversations can take a little more effort, they are known to gather more positive results compared to communicating through a screen. Specifically, according to Harvard research, “face-to-face requests were 34 times more likely to garner positive responses than emails.” You may say that doesn’t relate specifically to the workplace, however, “67% of senior executives and managers said their organization’s productivity would increase if superiors communicated face-to-face more often” (Forbes).
Overall, we live in a country where people desire an easy solution, and sometimes having a conversation doesn’t feel too easy. Communication advocates like myself need to help others realize that having a conversation is the easy way. You can collaborate much easier together. Also, you can save lots of time. Additionally, you can bounce ideas off of each other, and, you can
gauge their interest. Specifically, Michael Massari, Caesars Entertainment’s Senior Vice President of National Meetings and Events stated, “Without the ability to read body language, a critical form of communication, we miss crucial elements to conversations that can positively or negatively impact a business”.
Technology doesn’t only cause hindrances in the workplace, it also impacts users socially. Have you ever had a friend misinterpret a text? Most people, myself included, have had friends think they were being mean, when they meant to be sarcastic. When this happened to me, I tried to explain myself (still over texts) but ended up pulling myself down even farther.
Note to self, sarcasm is a very bad idea over texts.
You can never convey exact emotions in a text… not even with emojis. Nowadays, so many friendships end over a misunderstanding. Likewise, business deals can end too. When you talk face to face you can see someone’s body language, which better expresses their true feelings. Misunderstandings are less likely if you decide to leave your screens behind and talk to people in person.
Ulrich Kellerer agrees that emails are not the best option. He states “While sending emails is efficient and fast, face-to-face communication drives
productivity”. Overall, Kellerer is stating that more face to face conversations have been known to improve a company’s standings. You can do so many things by just talking face to face with someone. Can you actually do this all as effectively and efficiently through a screen? Kellerer would say you just can’t.
Other high level executives have had experiences that support Kellerer’s claims against digital communication. Specifically, Howard Schultz CEO of Starbucks, stepped down in 2000. However, he reclaimed that role in 2008 after the coffee company struggled and its stock price dropped 42 percent. To turn the company around, Schultz gathered his management team in person. He spent $30 million to bring 10,000 store managers together in New Orleans. His face-to-face strategy worked. Starbucks made a comeback with even greater success. From personal experience, stepping away from technology has been very beneficial to my life, and I believe it can help a work area make major strides forward.
Not only are misunderstandings likely and productivity diminished when you engage in digital communication, but your relationships can become stronger when you actually see friends in person, which positively impacts mental and physical health. A study from the University of California, San Francisco observed 3,000 women who were diagnosed with breast cancer. The study found women with a large network of friends who they saw in real life (no, not just Facebook friends) were four times as likely to survive as those who had smaller friend groups. Technology can not only affect a workplace, but also can impact people physically. Having real people be by your side can have positive impacts on both people’s emotional and physical health as we see in the statistic. People feel they have more support and are more prone to survival than others who rely on internet friends.
Technology is spreading rapidly, and we need to make sure it does not take over. Having conversations is so important and we can not let the surge of technology overpower these interactions. Live conversations can be just as powerful or even more so than technology. We tend to overlook the power that a conversation has, but it is time to change that, all of us together! I’m guessing most of you are reading this on a device and tuning out the people around you. While I appreciate your attention to my writing, I now urge you to go communicate with the real people around you.
WORKS CITED:
Source 1:
“Has Technology Killed Face-To-Face Communication?.” Forbes.com. N. p., 2019. Web. 19 Mar. 2019.
Source 2:
“What Are The Positive & Negative Effects Of Using Technology To Communicate?.” Smallbusiness.chron.com. N. p., 2019. Web. 19 Mar. 2019.
Source 3:
“The Importance Of Face-To-Face Communication.” Ashton College. N. p., 2013. Web. 19 Mar. 2019.
Source 4:
“Face-To-Face Communication | A Healthier Michigan.” A Healthier Michigan. N. p., 2015. Web. 19 Mar. 2019.
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