Face to Face Communication in Teens
Looking someone in the eye and speaking face-to-face may seem like an activity for older generations. Teenagers have embraced technology to such levels that your adolescent might prefer to send you a text message to ask what̵7;s for dinner, even between the distance of his bedroom and the living room.
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Communication Preferences
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Text messaging tops the list of preferred communication methods, according to a 2012 Pew Research Center report. The report states that 63 percent of teens send text messages every day, 39 percent engage in voice calls and 35 percent of teens engage in daily face-to-face socialization outside of school. These statistics indicate that texting and voice calls are preferred over face-to-face communication for teenagers.
Face-to-Face Contact
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Texting or instant messaging involves vastly different communication techniques in comparison to face-to-face contact. Adolescents might become accustomed to the shortened speech style and even inventive spelling of texting and lose touch with social graces such as ̶0;please,̶1; ̶0;thank you̶1; and ̶0;excuse me.̶1;
Detachment
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With the detached style and even possible anonymity of electronic communication, teens may lose their comfort and familiarity with face-to-face communication. Electronic communication is often easier because it takes less time and teens can carry on a conversation while engaging in other activities. Teens may even choose texting over face-to-face contact because of the removal from personal interaction. This self-protection can keep conversations superficial and distanced, states adjunct professor and author Patricia Harmon, of Patricia Harmon Ph.D & Associates.
Body Language and Facial Expressions
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With face-to-face conversations, people have the benefit of seeing facial expressions, maintain eye contact and hearing voice inflections, states clinical psychologist Ana Nogales, writing for Psychology Today. A statement can have many different emotions behind it, so reading it through text message or instant messaging might lead to confusion or misunderstandings. With face-to-face conversations, the listener hears the words and the voice, and sees the facial expressions and body language that support the statement.
Parental Encouragement
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You may find that your teen has trouble reading facial expressions, warns Brenda Nixon, educator, writer, speaker and educator on child development and guidance, writing for the Christian Broadcasting Network. For example, a teen may see worry on your face and perceive it as anger. Encourage your teen to engage in face-to-face socializing frequently to build interpersonal skills of empathy and emotional connections.
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