Alright, so today - Friday that is, was Diwali - the Indian festival of lights. So very obviously I skyped with one of my friends from back home.
One of the first things that struck me about the conversation, it wasn't as free flowing as our conversations used to be - this was especially when the both of us were trying to multi-task during the conversation, there were more than a few awkward moments, when we experienced awkward pauses or gaps in the conversation. In moments like these, I found asking questions very useful, often prompting the person to launch into a new narrative. I also found paraphrasing and comparing to be very useful tools particularly to translate the different perspectives and experiences we had. Mirroring, building and agreeing were useful, but more as implicit tools than something I used explicitly.
Even though the conversation took place over skype, thanks to the video calling facility, there wasn't as huge a disconnect in non verbal communication as would be expected. It was quite easy to tell for example when either one of us wasn't exactly paying 100% attention - the person would be distracted, often issuing monosyllabic responses instead of actually answering the questions asked. It was also very simple to tell when the person was very interested in what the other was saying, as was characterised by their leaning slightly towards the screen of their computers.
Overall, I think the conversation went well, it was nice to catch up with my friend - we had a few false starts in the conversation, but on the whole it was quite cohesive - if anything I believe I could devote more of my time to paying very close attention to what my friend was saying, rather than trying to multi-task. Also, I learned that skype video chat needs a very strong internet connection on both ends - something difficult to find back in India.
I think your last line is very funny. I heard about the Diwali festival from another friend. I think there was a big candle lighting on the quad for it. It must have been interesting to hear how your friend was celebrating. I like how you talked about how the conversation broke down and how you helped it along. I also found it interesting that you discussed multi-tasking. It is a very relevant problem that I did not think of initially. Great job.
ReplyDeleteHey,
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way as talking to my friends on skype. We always try to multi-task and it turns out to be super inefficient for both the conversation and the work we are trying to do at the same time.
The conversation online is totally different as talking with friends in person, eyes to eyes. It is interesting to think about that. Thank you for sharing the experience!
hey,
ReplyDeleteTalking on Skype seems to be the same for everyone. Everyone always seems to be multitasking, which often leads to the gaps and pauses in the conversation as you mentioned in your post.
But its a good point you bring up. With video,you can still see the expressions of the other person when they talk which brings more meaning to what they say.
Interesting and enjoyable blog post. Great work.