What is more effective, Face-to-Face or Technological communication?

Expressing emotion is the beating heart of any form of human interaction, and therefore, vital to face-to-face or technological communication. In order to maintain healthy interactions with others, one must be able to understand the other person’s feelings, take your location into consideration, be able to explain the way you are feeling without blaming the other person, control your temper, and communicate effectively. In the past, sitting down with a person in real time was the only way to effectively communicate, but it is 2014, and the amount of technological advances our society is discovering and utilizing with each passing day is both alarming and overwhelming. Now, with just the press of a button or a swipe on a screen, it is possible to check up on your friend who lives hours away. It is possible to tell your mom you miss them, and have the real emotions soak through the keypad in real time, but with real distance. Technological advances are changing the game of communication, and the more advanced it gets, the more emotion we will be able to convey.

This semester, I obtained an internship with Community Help Centre to help those in need of assistance for various things from struggling with suicidal thoughts, to people struggling with substance abuse and addiction. During my 180 hours of training, my class is being taught how to handle situations over the phone by matching the other person’s tone; carefully choosing our words in order to focus solely on the client, and equally being able to educate and communicate effectively in an empathetic voice. Being empathic and matching their tone is very important when trying to help a client get to where they want to be emotionally or otherwise. We are being put through roleplays with our trainers in order to enhance our communication skills. This is to ensure that our clients will not misinterpret us, and feel at ease if we are on the same level as them.

At CHC, we also give our clients tips on how they can effectively communicate with someone in the heat of an argument by using what is called “I” statements. With “I” statements, the person addressing the situation must avoid saying “you” to put the blame on someone else so they feel less targeted. Showing the person how you feel, think, and want the situation to end will be a lot more effective than putting all the blame on them. This approach will make them more empathetic, which will result in a successful outcome. This is also a great technique when trying to be immediate with someone, and not sounding too harsh or aggressive.

Another skill being learned is to reflect the client’s emotions, use non-verbal skills, and summarize what they are telling us. By reflecting someone’s emotions, it shows the person that we are understanding how they are feeling which further demonstrates you are on the same level with them. Summarizing and non-verbal skills reassures them that you are paying attention to them and trying to understand where they are coming from.

In conclusion, it is evident through modern day technology and the fact that helplines like the one I work for exist that communication is universally effective in all ways when properly educated. You don’t need to see the person’s face to be more in tune with their emotions than someone close in proximity to them is. All you need is an open heart, and open mind, and a willingness to listen. Whether this is through a voice on the phone or sitting face-to-face, communication can be effective as long as it is meaningful, effective, and active for both participants, and this is being enhanced every day through technology.