Face to Face Communication

Decreases in Face-to-Face Communication Paper #1

Oscar Rodriguez

Johns Hopkins University

700.303.61 Communication Skills for Leaders

Instructor William S. Davis, M.S.

Instructor Jeffrey R. Gahler, M.S.

December 4, 2010

Abstract

Face-to-face communication is one of the oldest ways of communication. Throughout the years, face-to-face communication has been decreasing. In part, it is due to the different technologies created, such as: the telephone, two-way radios, the world-wide-web and electronic mail, cell phone texting, and many others. These technologies have benefits, but they are the biggest contributors to the decrease in face-to-face communication.

Today there are multiple ways of communicating. One may agree that the most commonly used is verbal-face-to face communication. From the beginning of the day to the end of the day, people communicate in different ways verbally. The verbal communication can be face-to-face, via telephone, via computers using the web-cam, via two-way radio, to a crowd by use of a microphone and sound system, via public radio and television, and in many other ways. As long as there is one person that can speak and another that can listen, one can conclude that the fastest way to communicate face-to-face is verbally.

Throughout the years, technology has played a big part in decreasing face-to face communication. The telephone is one of technology’s oldest instruments invented that has contributed to the elimination of face-to-face communication. The two-way radio is the same. One person does not see the other person spoken with when using a regular telephone or using a two-way radio. According to www.ideafinder.com (Ideafinder.com, 2010) in 1990, Tim Berners-Lee created the world-wide-web. The creation of the world-wide-web has played a big role in decreasing face-to-face communication. Through the world-wide-web and electronic mail (e-mail) people get to communicate faster than mailing a letter through...