Technological Advancements Causing Communication Breakdown

By Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat and Rehana Bhat

Information Technology enabled people to connect socially, even though they live thousands of miles away. We may never know the extent to which communication technology helped to avoid mental health issues caused by enforced isolation. There may be many advantages of communication and information technology but there is a dark side of this technology as well which isn’t even discussed or debated. Yet organizations must answer the big question that this dark side poses. The  technological advancements  are causing communication breakdown in our social circles.

Centuries ago, all communication was verbal and face-to-face. Then humans learned to write, and within just a few centuries we were able to send letters overseas and thousands of miles away. With luck, we would receive news within a couple of weeks. Today we talk instantly, in real time, via video calls.

Business has followed a similar path. First, we had memos, then came the telephone followed by faxes. By the end of the 20th century emails began to be used as a tool of communication and now after 24 years this is quite common across the world including the Indian subcontinent. Now the meetings are held through video conferencing and this became common after COVID 19 pandemic. The world of work has never had such ability to communicate internally and externally and we hardly meet physically now. Even the people living in the same city conduct meetings on zoom , google meet , skype and other platforms.

Technology has revolutionized the way we run offices or business and the way we communicate in the workplace. But not all these changes have been positive. Greater connectivity means that many people never switch off from work. This can cause stress in both personal and professional lives, and causes damaging work/life balance issues that eventually affect a person’s ability to do their work effectively. A detailed article on this issue was carried by Kashmir Observer a few weeks back wherein the coauthor had explained that employees should have the right to disconnect from work.

Technology  & Human Relationships

In this article we are trying to explain how technology is harming human relationships. The most important thing in all human relationships is conversation, but people don’t talk anymore, they don’t sit down to talk and listen. They go to the theatre, the cinema, watch television, read books and above all are busy on their cell phones but they almost never talk. If we want to change the world, we have to go back to a time when warriors would gather around a fire and tell stories, writes Paulo Coelho.

There is no doubt  that cell phones and the internet have drastically changed our society as a whole. They affect the way we transact, nurture relationships, bond with our children and socialize with friends and family. For Gen Z, the ubiquitous nature of cell phones is a given. Our generation vividly remembers how different life was before  technology  took over and was widely available. Back in our college and university days( even when cell phones were available) our favorite mode of communication was “in person”.

Fast forward a decade and everything seems to have changed. The late millennials and Gen Z have a stronger connection with technology than any previous generation. It makes sense that they would; they grew up alongside the internet and smartphones. Experts in all things digital, they do have an advantage when adopting and deploying the latest workplace technologies to drive results. But this affinity for technology ironically is the source of what many deem to be this generation’s greatest weakness: impaired communication skills.

Since all they are comfortable with is digital communication, especially Texting, they seem to be clueless when it comes to non-digital  tete a tete. Oftentimes the interactions in person feel awkward and unnatural because they cannot maintain the flow of a real spontaneous conversation. Their conversations “ flow” only when they are texting ( only after having thought out what to write).This is probably because when most of our communications are virtual we get used to being in a constant state of control and lose our ability to be vulnerable. This communication pattern makes it hard to let our guard down during a conversation. Furthermore text messages many times lead to miscommunication and misunderstandings. Because auditory and visual conversational cues are lacking in text messages, it can be easier to misconstrue a gentle sarcasm or humorous comment as a rude remark . This in turn can affect both personal and professional relationships. Hanging out, as we know it, is a thing of the past. Even when they do, it is not  without their phones in hand.

“No man is an Island”, goes the saying. We all need family and friends so as to face different life experiences. We derive sustenance and strength from our relationships. Studies show that having strong relationships is a strong protective factor for our overall well-being. And a key ingredient to any good relationship is communication. Today we lack that with even our closest friends .Personal interaction is being washed away and the significance of a real conversation is diminishing. If this generation desires to forge meaningful connections, it must stop settling for “everything digital.”

Storytelling and Communication

Storytelling is one of the oldest and sacred concepts in all of human history. Starting with our long-distant ancestors weaving myths around fires that kept the darkness at bay and evolving through the centuries to include writing, painting and more. It is a complex concept that still strikes at the very heart of who we are as a species.

Storytelling is a universal art and should be preferred as a mode of communication in our schools rather than focusing on technology. We can learn through stories narrated by illiterate people who have obtained formal education but their experience is such that it fascinates us. I remember listening to a story by  a Shepherd (Bakerwal) who was around 90 years old in 2009 when we met him during a trekking expedition towards Tatakoti peak in Pir Panchal mountains. The way he explained how the snout of the tatakoti glacier had receded from 1947 to 2009 , we were astonished. Similarly  other pastoralists whom we meet during our trekking narrate great stories which are unwritten and cannot be found on the internet. Storytelling  It is not just a means of imparting tales but a versatile tool that transcends linguistic barriers and fosters comprehensive communication abilities.  The story telling is not mere folklore but is a conduit for refining language proficiency, encouraging creativity, and instilling confidence among people. This is the reason storytelling is given a great thrust in all the renowned universities and schools across the world.  I remember during my leadership fellowship at Acumen , storytelling was an important part of our curriculum .

 Conclusion

Communication and everything that it entails can improve with practice and real life experiences and connections. We as elders, teachers and parents must help this Mute Generation to Unmute, Communicate and engage with the real world _ the one outside Snapchat, Facebook and Instagram faceless followers because  “much much unhappiness has come into the world because of bewilderment and things left unsaid”.

Views expressed in the article are the author’s own and do not necessarily represent the editorial stance of Kashmir Observer

• Dr Raja Muzaffar Bhat is an Acumen Fellow & Founder / Chairman J&K RTI Movement. Rehana Bha is Senior Assistant Professor English, Islamia College of Science and Commerce Srinagar

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