The pandemic and the practice of social distancing that was supposed to counteract its drastic effects have changed the landscape of interpersonal communication forever. Personally, I have experienced massive changes, including both negative and positive ones, and deployed substantial flexibility in order to adjust to the new communication environment. Specifically, I have realized that I have started paying significantly greater attention to kinetics, such as head posture and hand gestures, as well as vocalics, particularly, minor changes in the pitch of the speaker’s delivery. The specified changes can be ascribed to the lack of nonverbal communication opportunities caused by a restricted range of options for conversing online, particularly, the poor visuals that tools such as Zoom provide.
Speaking of technology, the role of digital tools in my communication with others has increased noticeably. Since the extent of physical interactions with my friends and colleagues was restricted to minimize the threat of the further spreading of the coronavirus, information and communication technology (ICT) were used actively to replace the specified experience. The application of the relevant digital tools has percolated into every area of my life, from academic and work-related activities to personal communication (Motawei 2). Thus, technology has defined the further course of my interactions with the rest of the world, especially my colleagues and fellow students.
Remarkably, the described change has produced a rather unexpected effect on my approach to conflict management. Specifically, since the alterations in question were already exhausting, I sought to minimize exposure to confrontations, which was why avoidance was chosen as the optimum approach for conflict management. Finally, my emotion management was slightly weakened as I developed minor anxiety due to the outlined shift in the approach to communication. At the same time, I have become a more active listener since most of the information obtained in the course of digital conversations was derived from the verbal part of the dialogue. However, the propensity toward pseudo listening has also emerged as the means of controlling the dramatically increased extent of information.
Works Cited
Motawei, Shimaa M. “The Role of Technology in the Era of COVID-19 Pandemic.” International Journal of Forensic Sciences, vol. 7, no. 1, 2022, 1-8. Web.