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In this digital age, we've all experienced situations in which a text message or e-mail was misconstrued because the person on the receiving end could not discern tone. Without the facial expressions, physical gestures, and vocal inflections gathered during face to face conversation, communication can often be stunted. "The more we understand about postures and movements that we use to signal our feelings to one another," says zoologist Desmond Morris, "the less insecure and uncertain we feel."
With that in mind, I am unilaterally announcing: "Face-to-Face February." One month to explore the value of human contact and the role it can play in saving our eco-system.
WATCH VIDEO: Even Babies Appreciate Conversation
Real vs. Virtual
Children (of all cultures and eras) laugh, on average, 400 times a day. For adults, the number is 15. So, it doesn't matter what makes you laugh...but that you laugh. Doctors Gael Crystal and Patrick Flanagan call laughter "a form of internal jogging that exercises the body and stimulates the release of beneficial brain neurotransmitters and hormones." Endocrinologist Stanley Tan has found that humor and exercise trigger "similar physiological processes," i.e. releasing neuro-hormones that act "like an orchestra, each instrument makes a particular note. Laughter makes the entire orchestra more melodious or balanced. In other words, laughter brings a balance to all the components of the immune system."
Translation: Typing LOL is not the same thing as laughing with a group of friends.
4 (of many) Examples of Solidarity Accomplished Without the Benefit of a Blackberry
1. Anti-Slavery Movement
2. Labor Movement
3. Women's Rights Movement
4. Civil Rights Movement
Let's add the "Green Movement" to that list, shall we?
As Margaret Mead sez:
"A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."
Links Worth Talking About
It's Time For Change: Unplug and Connect With People Face To Face
4 Ways to Start an Important Eco-Conversation With Your Neighbor in 2010
