With today’s technology all around us it seems that we are losing the art of communication. I realize that we communicate at a lightning speed with the world, and yes the world is getting smaller when it comes to reaching out to touch someone. We have made great strides in technical communications with sharper and more complex instruments that allow us to talk and text people thousands of miles from us. I have to ask has this technology cost us the art of communication with our fellow men. I am talking about simple talking face to face with each other. I see people sitting at the same table and they are texting to each other under the table. It reminds me of passing notes in school. Yes we move faster than ever and I expect that it will get even faster and sleeker than before, I wonder what will be the communication factor ten years from now, will we be thinking the conversation and won’t need the art of voice. Don’t laugh it is a possibility that is being bounced around in certain circles. We need face to face communication at the reception desk of the hotel, yet all we see is the top of the clerks head for he is busy with the computer trying to check you in with the least amount of face to face communication.
We used to phone our friends and meet up for a spot of tea or coffee, now we text to accomplish the same. We are bombarded by constant interruptions from the cell phone, that by the way almost everyone will say “got to take this call” so here you sit and wait while technology marches on. I have to wonder if there really is a call that you really have to take, considering that before the cell one never had that option. The world marched on and you received a message at the office that you had a call from so and so, it was either marked urgent, or will call back. I think that we take these calls because we are losing the art of simple conversation with each other we find our self wishing the cell would ring so we can change the conversation.
Go to any book store or coffee house, hotel lobby and look around how many people do see talking, and if you do they have a tablet or computer in front of them. You see them with their heads down looking at their phones. There was a time when you would look at the person in front of you when you spoke. Far cry of that today, we have really changed the art of communication haven’t we? You will really see it in the auto driving fools who are reading and texting while driving, now that is just stupid what can be so important that it can’t wait till you stop, because I want to be right, not dead right.
We have become a society of tech gadgets that seem to control our lives, our communication as well as our vision. That will be covered in another article at a later date. The new generation must wonder how we ever communicated with each other without all of these neat toys of today, we must be Neanderthals to them. Did we grunt? So I say to you communicate face to face and give the toys a rest when in a hotel lobby, coffee houses and book stores. You might find refreshing, you might even get to like the person in front of you, I wonder how many have ever looked up to see who was sitting in front of them before they got up to answer that “Got to take this” I don’t suppose that it would be a good day if we actually left one of those gadgets at home, god forbid how would we communicate?
About the Author
Alan Campbell has been in Las Vegas for over 30 years and has worked for the major strip hotels. He has spent some time in California, Los Angeles where he worked for the Radisson and Sheraton hotels. Alan considers the hospitality industry the best job in the world – it is the only place that both king's and Paupers will visit you.
The Hotel Guy
