Rev. Don Campbell
Talking More, Communicating Less
From the White House to the ghetto, people are using social media to communicate—well, at least to talk; but talking at one another is not communicating, and it seems that social media promotes our talking at, over, and around one another.
Social media allows us to depersonalize, dehumanize, and disconnect from one another on any meaningful level. In other words, we are talking more but communicating less. As one writer said, “We confuse conversation with connection.”
Whether talking face-to-face, through emails, Twitter, or through something not yet invented, Paul’s instructions should be followed: “Don’t let even one rotten word seep out of your mouths. Instead, offer only fresh words that build others up when they need it most. That way your good words will communicate grace to those who hear them” (Eph 4:29, The Voice).
