So
many things in our world are changing due to technological
advancements. Paper mail has now become a novelty – a hobby for some.
Even books are digital now! As far as advancements that have changed the
way people communicate, cell phones certainly stand out. In fact, cell
phones have even changed the way people date. Now, when you meet
someone, you probably text them before having a phone conversation. It
isn’t uncommon to date someone for weeks on end without ever talking on
the phone.
It’s true that texting is advantageous because it allows you to send a message that can be read (and answered) at any time, and allows people to be reached when they are on the go. However, for all the ways that texting makes communication easier, I feel that in regard to dating and relationships, texting (although trendy), isn’t the best thing to do. I fear that a good phone conversation with your significant other will eventually be a thing of the past. In fact, getting to know someone through phone conversations seems to be dead already.
Instead of text messaging being a casual method of communication, a whole texting culture has evolved to the point where it’s “rude” to let a text go unanswered for more than five minutes! People also attach emotional meaning to texting behavior, sometimes to the point where “who” does or doesn’t initiate the text conversation is often a point of contention. People also try to be humorous and sarcastic through texts – bad idea – humor and sarcasm aren’t necessarily understood this way. It seems that most people have forgotten the art of a good conversation filled with actual human voices. Now I know that the thought of a phone conversation with the person you are interested in can be quite stressful, so here are a few tips to get you through:
It’s true that texting is advantageous because it allows you to send a message that can be read (and answered) at any time, and allows people to be reached when they are on the go. However, for all the ways that texting makes communication easier, I feel that in regard to dating and relationships, texting (although trendy), isn’t the best thing to do. I fear that a good phone conversation with your significant other will eventually be a thing of the past. In fact, getting to know someone through phone conversations seems to be dead already.
Instead of text messaging being a casual method of communication, a whole texting culture has evolved to the point where it’s “rude” to let a text go unanswered for more than five minutes! People also attach emotional meaning to texting behavior, sometimes to the point where “who” does or doesn’t initiate the text conversation is often a point of contention. People also try to be humorous and sarcastic through texts – bad idea – humor and sarcasm aren’t necessarily understood this way. It seems that most people have forgotten the art of a good conversation filled with actual human voices. Now I know that the thought of a phone conversation with the person you are interested in can be quite stressful, so here are a few tips to get you through:
- Always be confident. If you’re confident in your tone, you’ll gain a lot of respect.
- Be humorous! There’s worse than droning on and on to kill a conversation…
- Don’t be afraid to talk about anything and everything. Just talking about the random things that come to mind can be a great way to have fun and engaging conversations.
- Don’t forget to let the other person talk. Get to know them. If they have trouble opening up and you can’t engage them in conversation, try some quirky questions like “Coke or Pepsi?”, “Do you like the previews, or skip to the movie?”, “Ocean view or mountain view?”, “What superpower would you want? Why?”
- Finally, something that has saved me more times than I can remember: keep it short and sweet! When a natural “out” presents itself in the conversation, don’t feel rude if you take it. If the conversation seems to be winding down and you want to avoid some awkward silence, maybe say you have to go to do homework or that you’ll call them later, and then gauge their response. If things went well, calling them again wont feel awkward; it’ll be like picking up the conversation where it left off. Casual and relaxed.
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