Virtual vs physical communication

What do you say online that you won't usually say in person? Social media has a level of protection or at least separation that is missing in face-to-face conversation. As a result, we tend to be more direct and confrontational than we would be otherwise.

Well, does the same thing apply when you are on a voice call? How about a video call? Different behavior or not? Still, it is direct person to person but still lacks that physical presence. Maybe it's the fear of physical violence or that you can't runway as you can hang up or disconnect as with the aforementioned situations. The fight or flight syndrome is a reality in both. But one is harder to extricate and disengage. 

Think about your confrontations and how they differ and why.

Multitasking or task switching?

 Multitasking can be helpful if you can have a modicum of discipline. For instance, I can listen, absorb, and process what is being said while doing mindless tasks. Sometimes I even retain more. Because my cognitive function is not filtering with my critical filter activated. 

I can play computer games, listen to podcasts, etc., and function highly at both. But here agon, these tasks are complementary. Not counterproductive. Those tasks are executed using different parts of the brain simultaneously.

Multitasking causes trouble when you are trying so much to do multiple things, but when you are task switching using the same cognitive functions. This task switching problem is because the interference and reset parts of the brain lose optimum abilities when this happens. 

So let's keep multitasking and task switching as separate operations and see how we can navigate the overcrowded workspace in our brain. 

Building like and trust

Building like and trust in relationships is hard enough. Now trying to do it online is even more of a challenge. We can see facial expressions and hear the tone of your voice, but in the virtual meeting, there is some factor missing that I have yet to identify. 

Maybe a smell or full body gestures factor into our sense of trust. I wonder what other factors that are lacking in virtual meetings?

Is the phone call dead?

We moved to KCMO  2 1/2 years ago. So I am discontinuing my old DFW phone number. In doing so, I had to think it through. I was wondering if it was even worth the trouble of keeping. Does anyone use the phone that much? But maybe some text to it, but is it worth keeping even then? 

I have it on my business card and some other printed material that is a cost concern. But in the future, on printed material, I am just going to use a QR code and point it to info that can be edited and updated without a reprint. 

I guess if it comes down to it, we are eschewing the phone call altogether. Maybe it is fear of intrusion. But, on the other hand, it could be we don't want to get tied up in a long conversation. Maybe we lost the art of conversation. Possibly all of the above.