Effective Communication in the Information Age
The dawning of the "Information Age" ushered in new forms of rapid written communication. Speedy communication solves many issues, but it also has some drawbacks. Messages can become convoluted without the benefit of face-to-face or voice communication. People sending electronic messages must take steps to ensure that the receivers of the message properly interpret the intended content.
Other People Are Reading
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Types
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Information age communication comes in many forms, although almost all types are written. Email, texting and social network updates represent personal forms of communication. Media-driven web pages and online advertisements are broader forms of information age communication. Often, web pages integrate chat rooms, message boards or comment streams that allow readers to interact with each other and discuss the topics that interest them.
Effects
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Precisely constructed cyber communication leads to positive results. However, improper or poorly thought-out communication often results in serious misunderstandings and errors. Colorado State University suggests that information age communication suffers because of a lack of vocal tone; receivers cannot hear the emotion behind the information. Inadequately written messages and information out of context creates "cyber noise" that overwhelms readers. Effective communication that is clear cuts through this noise.
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Misconceptions
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Misunderstandings are a common problem in cyber communication because it is hard to convey precise meaning. For example, a sender may think that she wrote a quick, concise email, while the receiver sees the email as cold and terse. Humor, particularly sarcasm, is another source of online misunderstandings. Online readers find it difficult to tell when a writer is joking. To clarify the mood of a statement, online writers use punctuation symbols called emoticons that represent smiles, frowns and winks.
Features
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Effective online and text communication includes relevant subject lines and concise but complete information. Both media-style and personal cyber communications should include a touch of warmth so that the reader feels the writer's good intentions. Well-received Internet communication often incorporates positive messages and light humor. They are long enough to include all relevant information, but not so long that the reader becomes bored and abandons the message before it is complete.
Identification
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Effective communication presents information clearly and often includes a "call to action." These action calls ofmedia messages usually revolve around visiting a website or buying a product, while personal cyber messages may request a simple task like meeting for lunch or simply writing back. Senders can identify poor communications by reading through their messages before they send them. Poor communications can be interpreted in a number of ways, where good communication only has one meaning. Senders must step outside of their own thought process and read their message as if they were the recipient, scanning the communication for negativity and potential misunderstanding.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit typing girl image by Andrey Kiselev from Fotolia.com
