Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Will Video Chat Be The New Phone Call?

Google+ titled their group video chat a "Hangout" to encourage more casual use of video chats, suggesting it's not just for video conferencing or seeing your Nana in Florida. It hasn't taken off in my social group write like Google hoped. I think I would enjoy video chatting more often with my friends and family who live farther away. Recently I facilitated a Skype conference call. we had one person overseas and it was more favorable (and cheaper) to do an online video call than a traditional landline international call. Over eight hours of
It seems like no one calls each other anymore, it's all texting. I was texting with my one friend a long conversation and to make it quicker I thought I'd just call her. She acted like she couldn't get off the phone fast enough. There is something about hearing a persons voice and seeing their face that enhances communication. I am a very sarcastic person and sarcasm often gets lost or misconstrued, which can be toxic. I think one 15 minute phone conversation is better than two hours worth of texting. I attribute the disintegration of our friendship to our lack of in-person contact. It's not just the contact, but knowing the effort they made to spend time with you.
I wonder if the video chat hangout prevalence will increase or remain the same. I certainly hope for an increase because I believe that visual human interaction is substantially more beneficial than non-visual.
On the other hand, I feel that texting has enabled me to communicate more with people. There are circumstances where I wouldn't necessarily take the time to call someone, but I will send them a quick text. Also I have started using texting a lot more at work. Where I work we aren't always in the office so if I have a quick question I can text a coworker and they can respond as able. I also love being able to instantly send photos via text or email. Recently we had a plumbing question and while my boyfriend was on the phone with his dad I took a picture with my phone and emailed it to him.
The next time you hear "See you later!" It just might be through a computer rather than in person.

Monday, April 2, 2012

Hoping new friends and devices last

It seems like both new friends and new technology have an exiting beginning phase where you are finding out the cool features (he has a car! Or it has Swype!). Also the limitations (he already has other friends Or it doesn't get signal in the basement). The biggest thing is not to do anything detrimental to them. I'm proud of myself for having my phone for so long without a screen protector and haven't scratched it. And I'm proud that so far in this friendship I think I've done good at not being annoying or bothersome or insulting. When I do say or do something stupid or mean, I usually realize it just after the fact and I'm never sure whether to go back to it and make amends. I usually go with just the resolve to do better next time.

I heard an interesting insight into the Apple vs Android debate: "If you want to be happy with your phone tomorrow get an Apple. If you want to be happy in a month get an Android". I think that friendships aren't just Poof there all of a sudden, they need time to evolve and care to customize, like Android. ;-) I know that when making friends it's not an overnight event. Friendship is a slow-cooking (I know can I use any more metaphors!?) process meant to be savored. Maybe these little bumps in the road are part of building a better foundation for a lifelong friendship.

To go off on the friendship tangent more, I recently read the book "MWF Seeking BFF" by Rachel Bertsche. *Spoiler kinda* Rachel concludes that you may not have one single best friend, and that's ok. She ended up with a handful, bouquet if you will, of friends who fit in different places in her life. This conclusion gave me consolation in my lack-luster friendship area, and also resolve to push on working to cultivate current and future relationships.

Just as friendships are not to sit idle, technological devices consistently require tuning and updates. Just don't only call your best friend on the first Tuesday of the month!