• News
    • Campus
    • Local
    • World
  • Arts and Entertainment
    • Performing Arts
    • Visual Arts
    • Music
    • Film
    • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
    • Campus Happenings
    • Community Happenings
    • Food
    • Business
    • Travel
    • Calendar
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Video
    • Globe News
    • What’s Bruin
    • Bruin Lens
    • Film
    • Music
    • Globe Shorts
  • Radio
Search
34.3 F
Salt Lake City
Saturday, January 28, 2023
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Contests
  • About The Globe
    • Staff
    • Jobs
    • Issue PDFs
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy Policy
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
The Globe The Globe
The Globe The Globe
  • News
    • Campus
    • Local
    • World
  • Arts and Entertainment
    • Performing Arts
    • Visual Arts
    • Music
    • Film
    • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
    • Campus Happenings
    • Community Happenings
    • Food
    • Business
    • Travel
    • Calendar
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Video
    • Globe News
    • What’s Bruin
    • Bruin Lens
    • Film
    • Music
    • Globe Shorts
  • Radio
Home Opinion Missing: The art of conversation
  • Opinion

Missing: The art of conversation

By
Amie Schaeffer
-
November 16, 2020
0
Woman holding blue smartphone
According to a survey taken in July by Pew Research Center, 64% of U.S. adults say social media have a mostly negative effect on the way things are going in the country today. (Julie Ricard, Unsplash)

We are losing the art of conversation. As someone who loves words and an open and free exchange of ideas, this is beyond devastating.

I have not been on campus for class since March. This lack of social exchange has been hard, but what has been worse are the exchanges I am having with friends and family via social media or text. Things you would be shocked to hear someone say in a face-to-face interaction can flow easily with that extra layer between you.

I have been saying for some time now that I believe people are inherently good, that extremism on either side must be the minority. But I am starting to lose faith.

What started out as a platform to keep up on family and watch puppy videos has turned into a political slaughterhouse. Misinformation runs rampant, and those who champion free speech are ready to smear you when you disagree.

I will be the first to admit I have not always played nice on social media. I may throw a snarky remark to a political story. But when did we transition to attacking family and friends? At times I feel it crept up slowly, but other times I feel like one day we just flipped a switch.

As a Journalism and Digital Media major, turning off social media completely is not much of an option. At this point, I do not think it would help. What I am seeing is this combative and easily triggered behavior is not assigned to just that space anymore.

For the most part, we choose the people in those spaces we occupy, while the ones we don’t choose — whether that be family, colleagues or classmates — we remain civil at minimum, right?

In the last few weeks, a good friend called me “nasty” over a question I had in response to his comments on the day Joe Biden was announced the projected winner of the election. I was only trying to gain insight to him feeling empty inside. He also assumed I had an agenda when telling him to be careful on a trip to Salt Lake due to the high COVID numbers. (Spoiler alert: I just wanted him to be safe because he is my friend.)

I had a family member openly try to ream me out on Facebook over my reply to his political comment. I had an ex-coworker get terribly offended when I suggested people from both parties try working together to move forward. A few people have said I think I am smarter than everyone if I throw my two cents in a conversation or that I sound snotty if I say, “What I have learned as a journalist is…” Would they be as offended if my profession was dentistry and I said, “What I have learned as a dentist is…”?

Tonight, I sit here exhausted and sad. I miss conversation, and when I try to have one on the few outlets available to me, it becomes a dumpster fire. Where do we go from here?

The political climate is difficult right now. What am I saying? The world is difficult right now.

What I encourage is this: Remember why you chose those people to be in your circles. Remember intent — no, my intention is never to emotionally maim you or come at you with a politically charged, “be careful.” Remember what you know to be in people’s hearts. Remember, if you would not say something to someone’s face, maybe rethink how you go about it.

I can’t believe I feel I have to say this, but remember that a person’s vote — hopefully — does not define them. I have heard people call all Trump voters racist, and all Biden voters fascists. Maybe instead, ask what was at stake with their vote and listen. I have to believe we have more overlapping ideals than not.

I, for one, desperately miss the art of conversation and hope that we can all work to revive it.

  • TAGS
  • Amie Schaeffer
  • civility
  • communication
  • Letter from the Editor
  • negativity
  • social media
Amie Schaeffer

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Jeff and Amie in a bookstore

First-place chapbook winner fulfills a promise to her late friend

Stop written on battered woman's hand as she holds bruised arms over her face

Dirty words: Domestic violence; lifting the stigma

Marcie Cancio sits next to Talithia Williams

SLCC assistant professor receives national advisor award

Three magazines laid out on a table

Folio Fall 2021: Calling on creatives

Outside of Finn's Cafe in Salt Lake City

Globe staffers share favorite SLC dining options

The Globe
ABOUT US
About The Globe
Staff
Jobs
Issue PDFs
FOLLOW US
  • About The Globe
  • Staff
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
© 2023 The Globe