Let's have a chat

Over the past decade the world has changed a lot, especially in terms of technology. One of the major revolutions has been the internet. My parents hardly use the internet. My grandparents don’t use the computer. But I’m sure that even my unborn child knows the shortcut keys in Microsoft Word.

I’m a big fan of the internet, but one thing I am not a huge fan of is chat. I mean, it’s good to communicate and all, probably one of the best ways to keep in touch, but not much can be expressed through words. They are completely different things – emailing/chatting with your professor and emailing/chatting with your girlfriend. I believe I use the chat messengers and email more than anyone, but I’ve had my share of bad experiences and misunderstandings through them. A while ago, I forwarded an email with included a card with a red rose to around twenty of my friends. A day later, one of the girls emailed me back with the subject – ‘misunderstanding’. I’ve really lost touch with her since then and wonder if it was because of the email. Just words sometimes aren’t enough. No, I don’t mean use emoticons and other symbols. It’s better sometimes to talk, voice-chat. Certain situations and relationships deserve more than just words. I make it a point to voice-chat whenever both parties can, regardless of who I am speaking to. Most of my friends know that about me.

Yesterday, a friend and I decided to voice chat. She had something important to discuss and I postponed it to a time when we both were free to talk. Unfortunately, I didn’t calculate the time difference correctly due to the daylight savings change in my time. I was a little over an hour late and she began with the line, “Heard about being late?” I could tell she was pissed and sounded really low. Luckily, she didn’t yell or hang up. We ended up having a good conversation and spoke about her concerns and discomfort.

I don’t think the conversation would have been as effective as it was if we hadn’t used our vocal cords. I see it as a time saver and an asset.