The voice is a communication channel.
So is a pen, a piece of paper, a keyboard, a desktop computer, or even a mobile phone.
So is a television screen, a computer screen, and a mobile phone screen.
The eyes, the hands, the body are communication channels.
So are mobile applications, Internet platforms, and even websites.
The ability to miscommunicate effectively comes about when we confuse the channel, with the message coming through the channel.
Or we confuse the medium with the message itself.
We seek nuance through these channels in a vain attempt to connect completely with another human being. The problem is that these channels are flawed because they are channels that exist of human making, human molding, and even human compromising. The nuance that we seek through using these channels—the clarity, courage and candor we ultimately seek—will not only come through such channels.
Conflict is easy when the medium and the message are confused. Conflict relies on obfuscation, confusion, miscommunication, and disconnection.
Blogging, tweeting, “facebooking,” Snapchatting, or using whatever the platform of choice to communicate with nuance, will result in more conflict not less. This is because nuance is sacrificed when using these platforms to communicate ideas that are easy to understand, but hard to manage, and may not ever result in resolution.
Reading is a communication channel.
So is thinking.
