Have you ever gotten a text message from someone and have no idea what they mean? Or have you ever had to show your phone to a friend to help you understand what the text means?

Keeping in touch with people is becoming easier through the use of technology, but I believe it is getting harder for people to understand what others are trying to communicate.  Research says that communication is 90% non-verbal and 10% verbal; therefore when we text we are missing much of the message being conveyed.  I would argue it may be getting easier to communicate with others, but it is getting harder to understand what they are trying to say.   I think text messaging is good for sending quick messages that are easier to understand, but even then they can be misunderstood (i.e.  check out the video below for a great example).

Communication methods have changed over the 21st century.  In the previous century, people would send letters, place telephone calls on land lines, or talk to each other in person.  While these methods are still used today, the internet has changed the manner and the speed in which individuals communicate with one another.  For example, most Canadian families and individual’s have a personalized computer and access to the internet (Gross, 2004; Valkenburg & Peter, 2007).  When the internet first became popular, people would send e-mails as their main form of communication. Presently, however, the internet has become the status quo in all social settings; with emailing, instant messaging, and online networking sites (e.g., Facebook) being used as standard modes of communication.