Online Chat and Texting

[BadgerJelly]

I view these as being somewhat of a "false" means of communication.

What I mean by this is to say that we can often "chat" online as if we're having a chat face-to-face. It is an attempt to mimic direct and immediate conversation yet it is duplicitous because online chat (and often texting) can take place over many hours or days in what would take mere minutes in everyday face-to-face conversations.

Should we consider this more when speaking and guard against a very obvious ingrained tradition of common language? When we chat on forums like these are we truly able to recognize and frame the discussion as unique in its lack of time frame?

As an example we may very well have sent messages asking mundane things like "How are you?", then received a reply saying "I am good. Been to ... recently and saw ... yesterday. How your life going?"

My question is is this really a genuine conversation or merely a mimicry of conversation? It seems to me to be a completely false interaction, whereas at a face-to-face level I would accept this a being a relevant and direct exchange of information as an introductory means of expanding the conversation into more substantial grounds. In online chats or texts it looks quite out of place and as a polite exchange looks both deeply impractical and out of place, yet we most likely all fall prey to this bizarre habit?

What are your thoughts and/or examples of this kind of "chatting"?

[zetreque]

Depends on the depth to which you want to have a conversation.

You have instant messaging chat, text messaging, forum chat, email chat, webcam chat, voice chat (phone), in person chat.

Each is good for a specific purpose or "appropriate technology."

Each one has unique characteristics. I have found over the years that you don't truly know a person until you have talked to them over every kind of "chat" there is because people can behave very differently depending on the medium that you are talking to them.

I had friends who were great friends in real life but horrible at keeping in touch online, and other best friends who were excellent at keeping in touch online. Then some peoples personalities completely change when online. For example, I had a friend who in real life was a normal great friend, and then online he would talk endlessly and overwhelm you with information so it was a one sided chat.

I think it's good to practice all forms to build communication skills, learn more about yourself, and learn more about others to see how superficial or whatnot they are.

Other things I might add is that forum or email chat should be reserved for deeper thought because they give the other person a chance to think before responding. You don't get that deep usually in real life chatting because there is no time to think about your response.

And non-face to face chat makes it difficult to read a person's intent because all emotion are left out and sarcasm is easily lost. The other person's emotions are all made up inside your head which can be completely wrong.

[someguy1]

I view these as being somewhat of a "false" means of communication.

What I mean by this is to say that we can often "chat" online as if we're having a chat face-to-face. It is an attempt to mimic direct and immediate conversation yet it is duplicitous because online chat (and often texting) can take place over many hours or days in what would take mere minutes in everyday face-to-face conversations.

These newfangled telephones are a social abomination. Nowadays people can just pick up a telephone and call someone and start chatting away. They have done away with the nicety of sending their servant with a calling card to their friend's house requesting a visit, as decent and proper members of society have always done.

Or going back even further, Plato pointed out that the invention of writing was not necessarily a good thing.

And so it is that you by reason of your tender regard for the writing that is your offspring have declared the very opposite of its true effect. If men learn this, it will implant forgetfulness in their souls. They will cease to exercise memory because they rely on that which is written, calling things to remembrance no longer from within themselves, but by means of external marks.

What you have discovered is a recipe not for memory, but for reminder. And it is no true wisdom that you offer your disciples, but only the semblance of wisdom, for by telling them of many things without teaching them you will make them seem to know much while for the most part they know nothing. And as men filled not with wisdom but with the conceit of wisdom they will be a burden to their fellows.

https://www.farnamstreetblog.com/2013/0 ... t-writing/

[BadgerJelly]

Great sarcasm, but Plato has a point.

[Eclogite]

What are your thoughts and/or examples of this kind of "chatting"?

It is more akin to old style letter writing, without the expense of a stamp (positive), but also without the elegant phrasing and structure that was often to be found in letters.

[zetreque]

Pretty pointless video but it is easy for people to get an addiction to texting. I'm sure you can see a biological addiction response to it for most people.