This project analyzes and compares two forms of communication; these are face to face and virtual interactions. Although both forms help provide information, face to face interactions are better because they happen in real time and allow for verbal and nonverbal communication, which I believe is important.
This interview was done to better understand what it is like for stay-at-home mothers. The first question was; what are some of the things you like about being a mother? The answers were not as I had expected, I assumed the answers would be very similar. Responses from the virtual interviews came late and were less descriptive and toneless. The face to face answers were a lot more descriptive and I felt I could get a clear picture of what they were talking about because of the gestures and animation as they spoke.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
The second question was; what are the challenges of being the primary care giver of your children? Some of the responses were similar, except one was less detailed. Two of the answers from the virtual interviewees were in bullet form and this didn’t allow for much more of an explanation. Whereas with the face to face interviewees, they would offer a lot more information, probably by reading my facial expressions they would see I didn’t fully understand and that would prompt them to share more. Face to face was a lot easier because I could clearly understand what they were trying to say and I could see the emotions they had as they answered. Also, it felt a lot more personal face to face, it was easier to empathize with them.
The third question was; how do you take care of yourself mentally, emotionally and physically? The issues I had with the face-to-face interviewees was that they tended to go off topic, they would stray into other topics or over explain certain things which would lead to them missing the point. Also, since I could see their facial expressions it made it easier for me to tell when they were being dishonest about some things.
The fourth question was; what activities do you enjoy doing with your children? The good part about the virtual responses is that they are to the point and precise. Unfortunately, I can’t read their real facial expressions and tonality; the answers of some were robotic and in list form which was bad because it didn’t offer enough information.
The last question was, what would make your life a little easier as a stay at home mother? Being in close proximity to the interviewees allowed me to get information in real time and gain a better understanding of their answers and them, it allowed for us to communicate nonverbally. I noticed that they would pick my facial cues and this would encourage them to open up and give more information. The virtual responses were delayed and devoid of emotion. Some virtual responses were brutally honest; I think this is because they had the shield of anonymity. Meanwhile, I could tell some responses from the face to face interviewees were dishonest, probably because they felt ashamed to share some things with someone face to face. It was very interesting seeing the different emotions and gestures as the face to face interactions were happening, I feel it gave me a huge insight into the things they experience.
Technology has brought a lot of innovations which are good. But it shouldn’t be the only way we communicate. There is nothing that can quite replace the impact of face-to-face communication…… Face to face communication encourages better exchange of information especially because it allows us to not only be verbal but one can read body language, facial cues and tonality. These all assist with better understanding and deciphering information. I believe that virtual communication takes away the emotions that are vital in any kind of communication.
Reference
Baker, M., & Milutinovic, J. (2016, December 15). The Importance of Face-To-Face Communication in the Digital Age. Australian Institute of Business . https://www.aib.edu.au/blog/communication/face-to-face-communication-in-the-digital-age/#:~:text=Clear%20and%20concise%20communication&text=Face%2Dto%2Dface%20conversations%20minimise,allowing%20video%20and%20audio%20calls.
