Lesson 5

What are your main take away lessons from the assigned reading this week? Describe and explain.

This week’s reading had a lot of insights that captured my attention. Among them is interpersonal communication in online relationships. Adler et al. (2014) state that “there is no question that mediated relationships tend to pass the test of being contextually interpersonal. You can stay in touch via text messaging, IM, tweets, e-mail, and social networking websites more efficiently than in person” (P. 203). However, the authors question the quality of mediated interactions. The reading has shared sentiments of various observers that believe mediated communication tends to reduce the quality and frequency of face-to-face interaction. People might be communicating on a regular basis via mediated platforms, but the moment they meet face to face, it always seems as if they do not know each other at all (Adair, 2012).

The concept of content and relational messages also stood out. When two people are interacting, they not only exchange content messages but also relational messages (Adler et al., 2014). This includes both nonverbal and verbal communication as the relational messages help to define how the parties feel toward each other. The relational messages showcase attitudes and feelings that are being expressed by the communicator. This includes dimensions such as respect, affinity, control and immediacy among others.

Dimensions on intimacy, on the other hand, postulates that intimacy can arise from the aspect of intellectual sharing (Adler et al., 2014). When people engage in an exchange of important ideas, there is a form of closeness that tends to develop, and it can be exciting and powerful.

How will they affect the way you communicate?

These insights are likely to affect the way that I communicate. My perception of online relationships will be affected after reading this extract. In the age of digital technology, people have taken most of their communications online. This is regardless of the people that are involved with the communication. This is something that I would consider adjusting in my life. I will strive more for face-to-face interactions so that I do not lose the touch of personal feeling.

When it comes to content and relational messages I will have to be conscious while communicating with people regardless of whom they are. This is because I would not want my relational messages to portray something different from what I intended to pass across.

With regards to intellectual sharing and intimacy, this is something that might make it difficult for me to share with people to a certain extent that would be considered as being close. This is because it might send the wrong message of the possibility of there being intimacy.

In what ways do the concepts in the videos and readings relate to your professional life in education?

The video When Harry Met Sally Men and Women Cannot Be Friends is very applicable to the reading’s dimensions of intimacy. This is something that is very applicable in any professional life. The moment two people of the opposite sex become too close and they do not have any other existing relationships, the probability of initiating an intimate relationship is always high. This is based on the nature of activities that they do together and their way of communication.

In the video What you don’t know about marriage, Jenna McCarthy talks about how so many people get married within a certain period, but most of them end up divorcing. There is a classical example of this aspect in this week’s reading of Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes. What really changes? Two people that were into each other cannot tolerate each other anymore. This is common in life and mostly due to changes that come after marriage. People tend to change the way that they used to communicate, behave, view things among other issues.

Dating Techniques- Science of Attraction is a video that shows that when it comes to attraction, there is nothing common that people are looking for. This is what happens in life; people are attracted to each other because of different reasons. However, effective communication is likely to increase the chances of someone being interested in dating you.

The video Half a million secrets by Frank Warren is an indication of how anonymity can be an enabler of communication. In life, there are those moments that you just want to get something out of your chest, but you just want to talk to a stranger. Someone that you are sure you will not meet again and you do not care if they judge you or not.

Jeff Hancock in the video 3 types of (digital) lies talks of something that is quite common in life. By use of technological devises, people have developed the concept of lying as they communicate since the other party does not have a way of verifying whatever they are saying. Sometimes the confidence comes in too since there is no way of observing nonverbal cues as it would be with face to face interactions.

 References

Adair, John. Effective Communication (Revised Edition):The Most Important Management Skill Of All. New York, Pan Macmillan, 2012,.

Adler, R., Rodman, G., & DuPré, A. (2014). Understanding human communication (12th ed.). Oxford University Press.

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