TED Conversations

peter lindsay

Physics Teacher,

TEDCRED 30+

This conversation is closed. Start a new conversation
or join one »

Is modern communication going to produce a generation that doesn't understand body language or verbal expression?

I am a highschool teacher and a parent of three teenage boys. In the last 5 years the percentage of communicating they do with written language has increased enormously. Is this obsession with txt and facebook destroying their ability to express themselves without emoticons?frownyface

+4
Share:

Closing Statement from peter lindsay

Many commenters share my concern and many see it as just a development of modern society.My main concern still lies with the age at which a child gets a phone. In my experience most have a phone by 12 years old. I worry that they move through adolescence into adulthood with insufficient verbal communication and written communication in single sentences. Maybe as parents we should encourage them to visit each other rather than Txt or facebook. Even if that means we have to drive then somewhere.

Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.

  • Shane Schuller

    • +1
    Aug 15 2012: I think technological social mediums are a great step in the right direction, albeit a bunch of negatives, in that it has an intrinsic effect. Similarly we expressing our thoughts online, takes much thought in silence. Who's to say our minds aren't expanding in consciousness that may lead to psychic experiences.

    Thought is a powerful tool, an energy beyond comprehension. It's used all forms of mediums to relate itself, such as in sign language, verbal language, visual aids, art and technological mediums. It all began with 'thought'.

    Soon perhaps we won't require mediums of sort, but perhaps our inner ability that's expanding, for social interaction around the world. In other words our brains are wireless devices and finding the channels suitable for thought frequency transfer. Therefore we evolving through these mediums as preparation.

    So perhaps modern mankind will not cease speech but will develop its sixth sense towards telepathic communication especially for use accross the globe, and who knows perhaps even across the galaxy. We certainly planning these journeys and our current mediums for communication, to stay in touch, will simply not suffice.

    • eric wexler

      • +1
      Aug 15 2012: It's not often to see some who is bagging on this type of stuff and actually has a unique outlook on it. I don't know about "telepathic communication" but I think the "thought in silence" factor could have vast positive affects on our brains.

      • Shane Schuller

        • 0
        Aug 15 2012: Who would have thought Alexander Graham Bell's idea would some day work 'wirelessly'. Today we've achieved what once was a 'miracle' so to speak. The binary energy making this connection possible, operates as frequency.

        Thoughts are frequencies therefore often found that someone shared the same idea, somewhere distant. Is that coincidence or actual frequencies transmitted and received?
        Some cases we learn that someone utter what we thought at the same time or before we could. These are more than coincidences. Who knows thought might be traveling faster than the speed of light.

        • eric wexler

          • 0
          Aug 15 2012: If you were to say that then where does free will it in? Not only that but your opinion has tons of other fundamental problems. That opens up a whole new subject of discussion and brings this debate to somewhere it shouldn't go.

      • Shane Schuller

        • 0
        Aug 16 2012: Free will is an ability to choose. This essential ‘tool’ for improving our developments are earned through processes of logic analyzing any or every situation, which occurs with consciousness but translated via the brain. Free will develops the awareness. Therefore without it we are robots. Decisions are executed by logic, such as - if-else  - are based on percieved consequences. The conclusion reached, via reasoning, is significant for obtainable alternatives. As a result we, Mankind, have invented objects for convenience based on decisions, reasoning and alternatives - Why walk when we can fly, so to speak. 

Showing single comment thread. View the full conversation.