The Avenues of Communication

Think briefly about all the different ways we communicate with friends, family, acquaintances, and strangers.  In a technology-driven world, the avenues of communication are many.  From emails to texts to a simple phone call, we are surrounded by things that help us make a connection with people.  With the use of technology today, we can get in touch with people on the other side of the world without a problem.  As time moves on we come up with even more ways to communicate with others.  Video chatting and texting, for instance, are relatively new to the game.

With the ability to communicate so freely comes the challenge of learning how and when to get in touch with other people.  The Aspie Insiders met today over coffee to talk about how they use different forms of communication.  We also came up with some rules and concerns about everything from using the phone properly to the nature of the internet.  Check out some of their thoughts below on the different forms of communication:

A.I. THOUGHTS ON COMMUNICATION

  

Talking on the phone:

• "It's often weird because you can't see the other person's face and miss out on expressions."
• "When I talk on the phone I often picture the other person's face in my mind if I know them.  This usually helps me and I don't have a problem talking on the phone."
• "My parents have told me that I sometimes call too much."
• "If someone doesn't call you back right away, it's okay.  You can usually just wait for them to call you back.  This doesn't apply if it's an urgent matter."
• "Some phones let you see the other person's face when you're calling, which is just another way of communicating."
• "The frequency of your calling depends on the situation.  If it's an emergency, then you should try getting in touch with the person through whatever means possible.  If they don't pick up, try calling someone else to get in touch with them.  If the matter is urgent but not an emergency, leave a voicemail if you have to and give the other person some time to call you back.  If you're just calling as a good friend, you can usually wait for them to get back with you.  When a person doesn't pick up, it might mean that they're busy, just give them some time to return your call."

 Emailing:

•  "The same rules for calling frequency apply with emails.  With emails though, it might be even longer before the other person responds."
•  "Don't send emails over and over again expecting a response -- give the other person time to respond on their own."

Texting:

• "I don't use texting a whole lot.  I prefer talking to people and hearing their voice.  I'll only text a person if that's how they're communicating with me, or if I've called and left a voicemail and still need to get in touch with someone."
• "I use texting to stay in touch with friends that I don't have the time to call.  If I'm trying to get in touch with someone but am busy, I might send a text as well."
• "It's rude to text another person when you're talking to someone!"

Messaging:

• "I used to use AIM when it was popular, but I mostly do my messaging on Facebook nowadays.  Messaging for me is mostly a way to keep in touch with people while I'm using the computer."
• "Messaging is kind of like a relaxed way to text since you're usually at a computer when you're doing it.  I don't use messaging that often, but when I do it's usually to ask a friend something or just catch up."

Communicating on the internet in general:

• "Not everyone on the internet is who they say they are, so you have to be careful."
• "It's a good idea when you meet people on the internet to stay within your circle of friends if possible.  This way you don't end up involved with someone you shouldn't be talking to."
• "Don't accept every friend request you get online.  If possible, check out any mutual friends the other person may have and be careful when it's not clear who someone is."
• "Having your information stolen online is a terrible nuisance.  There are safety options on Facebook that let you encrypt or otherwise protect your information.  This way you don't have someone impersonating you online."