Miscommunication in Cyberspace

A few weeks ago, I set out to learn how we interact in cyberspace; what tools are we using to connect, what are we looking for there, what are we doing there, and are we satisfied with our experiences? The answers to the questions seemed to be resounding versions of, “mobile devices, connection, mostly wasting time, and no.”

My first attempt to delve into this topic was with a study group through a number of brainstorming sessions. Seemingly appropriate, we decided to try to use innovative new internet-based tools, which we had previously never or rarely used before, to share our thoughts and ideas on the subject. We had no luck utilizing email, chat, FaceTime, social media, or even our own class’ online learning portal’s chat feature. Either the tools we tried were not suited for our needs or were unavailable for all of the members of the group who needed access. After many attempts, to no avail, we had to settle with an old school approach to accomplish our task. Eventually, two of us, after speaking on the phone, decided that we should just try a three-way phone call. After multiple attempts, we were finally able to establish a real-time multiple user connection. Granted, I haven’t made a three-way phone call since elementary school and I didn’t even think to ever make one on my cell phone until this particular instance, it was hardly an innovative new communication device or solution that ultimately solved our problem. In the end, we were best able to communicate by picking up a phone at our own convenience, and (God Forbid!) letting it ring in hopes of someone picking it up on the other end, and then speaking to each other. The truth is that our communication efforts were best facilitated using technology that became popular in the early 90’s – a voice call over cellular service. This experience was the first real answer to the questions that I was seeking to answer about cyber-communication and it clearly proved that, although we have more tools to communicate, we are not communicating any better than before with these tools. It is clear that we are either over-communicating or under-communicating, but still struggling to figure out how to communicate appropriately and effectively in cyberspace.

Although our cell phones have advanced greatly since the first commercial cellular telephone network launched in Tokyo in 1979, our ability to communicate and connect through them does not seem to have improved much since then. If anything, there appears to be more evidence to the contrary. Sure, there are more ways to attempt to communicate using smart phones and mobile devices these days, but these applications are not any more efficient or effective in satisfying our wants or needs in the realm or communication. Internet-enabled resources- such as computers, phones, and tablets- that allow us to instantly “connect” with the rest of the world in virtual social settings have created a cyber culture and spawned entirely new forms of communication and interaction. At the same time as these resources seem to be rapidly expanding, our attention spans, social skills, and actual connections are being ever more diminished. 

After my group session, I reached out on Facebook asking people to tell me about their experiences with cyber-communication. Not surprisingly, my friends who responded said that their number one gripe was usually related to lack of “real” or “intimate” connections and very closely related was the inability to detect “tone”. Everyone told me that the connections they made online felt fake, forced, or fleeting when they felt like they could be interpreted at all, while many of the rest of the communications were either irrelevant, ignored, or confusing. Although a number of responders noted that they love how they could “keep in touch” with or follow people that they would not have or take the time to otherwise, these types of interactions are mostly interpersonal or fall into the categories of “fleeting” or “forced” exchanges. And, again, everyone said that they wish that they could decipher the voice or extrapolate the intentions of the online messages. The receivers of web-based messages all mentioned that they were unsure of how to interpret or even comb through the constant and overwhelming stream of messages that they are bombarded with whenever they are online.

Similarly, I reached out to co-workers and family members when I had some face-to-face water-cooler time. Almost everyone I questioned said that their biggest everyday gripe was essentially too many messages with not enough significant (or too much irrelevant) information contained within them. Nobody likes “reply all” messages, inappropriate “cc-ing”, or long e-mail threads that seem to never end. Ironically, companies are often turning to and requiring more and more cyber-communication over face-to-face communications for various reasons. Despite the complaints, obvious draw-backs and limitations of this type of model, companies are turning to cyberspace to supplement, enhance, or even replace physical workplace interactions. The question is whether this trend will be a key to their success or a tool of their own demise.

So, the take-away from my cyber-experiment is that there are a few key problems with our online communication experiences in all of it’s forms, including our interpersonal, interpersonal, small group, and public. In short, the major issues in all areas are:

·      Tools that are not developed for the types of communication tasks that we want/need to accomplish

·      Users are not trained, informed, or aware of the communication tools that would best suit their needs

·      Tools that are incompatible with each other and across multiple user platforms or devices

·      Multiple users utilizing the same tools in different ways

·      Cultural obsession with a lot of instantaneous and numerous results, even in communication interactions (instant gratification vs. long-term results and quantity over quality)

          Presently, we are in a place where we have had enough access to new types of communication technology just long enough to understand how not to use it. It is as if cyber-communication is still in the beta phase and we are all the testers, but the developers have no idea what it is we need and we have no clue what we are really testing. The users and the developers need to have the discussion about the end-goal and define what it is that they are trying to accomplish, in order for truly valuable communication products to be created. Our lives will not be enhanced with more meaningful interactions and deeper connections until we establish it as a goal, believe in it, seek it out, and work hard to create it according to our (the user’s) definition.