Email and Social Media Makes Us Lazy Communicators
Despite the social media explosion around the world, email remains one of the easiest and simplest form of communication these days.
The volume of email I get is pretty ridiculous. Between my role with Technorati as executive editor, personal stuff and work, I get well over 200 emails a day that are ones I actually have to read, pay attention to and respond to. Of course, there's a slew of other emails that sit there, waiting for me to open, filter, file or mark as spam (which is why priority inbox for Gmail kicks ass).
What drives me nuts about email these days is that people tend to use is as a bullshit conversation channel. Yes, legit and productive threads are ok, but when people reply all to an email to say thanks, good job, "let me know", etc., it drives me absolutely crazy.
Have we forgotten how to communicate and use email as an effective collaboration tool? Have we become so lazy that sending an email to someone who is in the office next door is easier than getting off your ass to communicate in person what you wanted to write in that email?
It certainly appears so.
Same goes with social media. We forget to take things offline and be human. Why post to someone's wall when you can just pick up the phone and ask them the same question? Talking to a person either face to face or on the phone are the two most effective forms of communication. Arguably, face to face has always been the best form of communicating since the beginning of time.
Email and social media has turned us into lazy communicators and it's only going to get worse.
I'd write more and continue this rant, but I just don't have the time. I have to go reply to 200 emails.
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