Effective Communication in the Electronic Age

Most people would agree that communication is important. The ability of people to understand each other is fundamental to many human endeavors from diplomacy to romantic relationships. The most effective communication is face to face where participants can make use of many cues. In addition to words, body language and tone of voice can be important.



In the electronic age, social media and email rely often on words. It is important to be direct and neutral most of the time since it is easy to be misunderstood. One has to be careful with humor and sarcasm as the recipient may misinterpret what the sender is trying to say.

When making comments on media like Facebook, one needs to be prepared for the worst from emboldened, anonymous writers. Initially, on Facebook, I made some flip comments only to be attacked in print by strangers. Some people might not mind this and actually see it as a sport, but I didn't like it. I have learned to make comments in rational, neutral ways without being disrespectful of the people I am responding to. If people attack my post, I don't take the bait but continue on in a rational position. This approach seems to work for me.


People should treat email like a phone call. If I have an email address, I feel obligated to answer emails with the exception of scams and commercial offers. A non-answer to a personal email is an answer! The problem is that the sender is left to create his own theory as to why his receiver hasn't responded. The filling in of the blanks can be destructive.

In a larger context, it is why diplomacy is so important. Nations may not resolve issues, but their representatives can send overt and covert messages back and forth signaling intentions and positions. Without diplomacy, countries will fill in the blanks! North Korea, which has made the United States a bogeyman, is a good example of what happens when communication breaks down.