Facing up to ‘headless’ companions…

Re-reading the fabulous book by Lynne Truss, ‘Eats, Shoots & Leaves’ (2003, Profile Books Ltd, London), has stirred up my frustrations and concerns about the increasingly bruised and battered condition of the English language and conversational capabilities. 

Quality standards look to be in rapid decline when it comes to the written and spoken word; spelling and punctuation are going scarily haywire. 

I readily accept that new technologies are a boon for the majority of people when it comes to sharing information and extending the reach of communication methods of yesteryear. 

I, myself, wouldn’t be without email or the ability to communicate globally, in an instant, upon the light tap of a strategically positioned keyboard button marked Enter.  That said, on more than one occasion I have wished that the fore-mentioned button had an in-built delay and a short series of pop-up questions before reacting to the pressure of my little finger: “Are you sure you want to send this right now?”; “You do know that you are seething, don’t you?”; “Have you considered the impact of this heat of the moment email?”. 

Thinking about it, just as I can adjust my computer’s firewall settings, wouldn’t it be marvellous if the cautionary messages had an adjustable strength of warning, ascending to a direct instruction issued in red flashing alerts, “Do not send this; you are neither calm nor rational!”? 

I’m not a total Luddite, of course I’m not.  I have my basic set of IT equipment that serves me well.  For me it is a case of the simpler, the better.  I dislike, with an intensity, complex user instruction and the successive upgrades that transform my current models (which are both functional and easily navigable) into obsolete antiquities. Beads of perspiration have, more than once, been coaxed onto my forehead with constant reminders of improved hard- and soft-ware capabilities greatly exceeding my simple and straightforward requirements. 

[Pause here when I climb onto my soap-box, thank you for waiting]

I believe strongly in the more traditional (and less expensive) communication media.  I still support, with a passion, those at risk of being lost and forgotten in the fast moving age of social media and trend-setting pieces of kit that require a well toned thumb (or thumbs in the case of ambidextrous key tappers) able to flex, bend and move around a miniscule keypad at speed. 

And what’s more… what reeeeally gets my goat is the head and eyes down posture that accompanies surreptitious key tapping, particularly when the ‘headless’ person is in my company, whether in the car, on a train, on a plane, or sitting alongside me for coffee, lunch, dinner or some other situation offering scope for conversation and social interaction.  Yes, I know I am making some big assumptions here!  For one, I am actually daring to rate myself as good enough company to merit ‘eye to eye’ contact in circumstances that bring us face to face.

OMG, we now speak and write in short-hand and we are virtually (excuse the pun) forced to self-educate to stand even a small chance of sustaining a moderate ability to communicate across generations as well as nations.  Lol. [I sincerely apologise for my incredibly long-winded sentence, but I want to make my point at length!]

[Pause now when I step down from the squashed soap-box, thank you]

Whilst I accept and appreciate the incredible benefits of swiftly advancing technological media, wouldn’t it be great to (re-)establish the etiquette for verbal communication and interaction whatever language is being spoken? 

Eye contact, or at least ‘head up and face forward’, should be a basic requirement, supported by a ‘mobile phones off’ habit in those face to face situations that can be enhanced by meaningful interpersonal conversation.  Wouldn’t it be a good idea to include Conversational Skills for Social Occasions as a core subject within educational curricula? 

What do you really think?  I would love to know!