What are we teaching the younger generation?<\/p>\n
What are we modeling for our kids?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
… that appearance is everything?<\/p>\n
… that sports stars and celebrities are life\u2019s most admirable professions?<\/p>\n
… that an ABC summer show entitled \u201cMistresses\u201d is good television?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
That\u2019s the question:\u00a0 what are we teaching them?<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Are we teaching that Facebook status updates are authentic?\u00a0 … that we\u2019re truly, transparently representing who and how we are?\u00a0 … that Facebook relationships are real<\/em> relationships?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Or better yet \u2014 and where my head and heart have lined up this day \u2014 that Twitter & Co. count for legitimate dialogue?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As all Intramuralist readers know, communication is of utmost importance.\u00a0 How we communicate makes all the difference in the world.\u00a0 The Intramuralist believes that all subjects can be discussed \u2014 albeit not necessarily agreed upon \u2014 if the approach is respectful and prioritizes active listening.\u00a0 That\u2019s the mantra of this blog:\u00a0 all opinions are welcome as long as the opinion expressed is respectful to those with whom you may disagree.\u00a0 Only through respectful discussion, friends, is solution viable.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yet continually in Washington and in our work place, we have very intelligent men and women who for some reason reserve the right to rhetorically slam their brother and sister when the moment is too tempting and ripe.\u00a0 They arrogantly belittle and bemoan, forgoing even the feigning of listening.\u00a0 One wonders why.\u00a0 Why is this so hard to comprehend?\u00a0 Why is this still so challenging for otherwise bright-minded people?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Look at what we\u2019re teaching the younger generation.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n As social media has exploded over the past half dozen years, we have allowed them to accept Twitter as a wise form of dialogue.\u00a0 In fact, we have allowed them to believe that it even is<\/em><\/strong> dialogue.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Excuse me?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Dialogue is a conversation between 2 or more people.\u00a0 To engage in dialogue means to converse or discuss in order to resolve a problem.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There is no dialogue on Twitter.\u00a0 There is no conversation.\u00a0 In fact, there is little conversation whatsoever in all of social media.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Twitter is simply a listing of one-liners where the Tweeter can tweet whatever he or she desires.\u00a0 There is no eye contact.\u00a0 There is no empathetic, compassionate, nor comprehending glance in that person\u2019s direction.\u00a0 There is no feeling; there is nothing warm nor cold.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Twitter is a list of comments \u2014 often snarky or satirical \u2014 in which one person attempts to manage the impression others have of them.\u00a0 There is no respectful back-and-forth.\u00a0 In fact, because it\u2019s not actually dialogue, Twitter and the rest of social cyberspace often damage more relationships than they maintain or repair.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Friends, Twitter is not an evil within society.\u00a0 Just like most things, a positive tool can be negatively employed.\u00a0 The disservice we are allowing for the younger generation, however \u2014 as we tweet, too \u2014 is that social media is something it\u2019s not… that Twitter and tweeting and even texting take the place of authentic, wise communication.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Respectfully… always…<\/p>\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" What are we teaching the younger generation? What are we modeling for our kids? … that appearance is everything? … that sports stars and celebrities are life\u2019s most admirable professions? … that an ABC summer show entitled \u201cMistresses\u201d is good television? That\u2019s the question:\u00a0 what are we teaching them? Are we teaching … <\/p>\n