Jimmy Wales, a co-founder of Wikipedia, made a statement during an interview recently that made me stop and reflect. He said positive Internet exchanges make people want to meet face to face. I’m old enough to remember life before the Internet dominated our media experience. And so I have also experienced the ways the digital age has shifted how we communicate and how we get things done.
Wales’ insight brings our recent ideas about human communication full circle. First it makes me think about the degree to which we are social beings. Consider that an infant will die without social contact, human touch, and human interaction, even if the child receives sustenance. For a graphic example of the necessity of human interaction watch this YouTube video presented by Dr. Edward Tronick, www.youtube.com/watch?v=apzXGEbZht0 Consider also that the human brain does not fully mature until an individual is in his or her early 20’s. We are all profoundly interconnected and dependent on each other. All forms of communication have grown out of this reality including the latest iteration, digital communication.
The other thoughts I had are the varying values of different forms of communication. Face to face is our primary form of communication. Then there is writing, phone calls, emails, texts, and so on. Each form has a different valence or quality and value. One wouldn’t propose marriage in a text, at least I hope not. And although passé, everyone knows about the cruelty and cowardice of a “dear John” letter because, difficult as it is, breaking up is more humane done face to face.
I believe that we have yet to figure out how our new digital communications fit into the overall constellation of human communication. What are they best for? Worst for? The digital age has changed how we do things, but I contend that it has not changed who we are.