Monday, February 7, 2011
Communication Breakdown
On Friday, I remember having a hard time answering questions in my math class when Ms. Reick would look at me to answer. Not only was I frustrated with myself because I could not communicate even the most obvious answer, but she became frustrated with me also. She became so flustered with the class that she could not take the silence anymore, and told us all that we could talk in her class. This incident reminds me of Postman's point in the second chapter of the book where he discusses oral discussion showing truth in African culture. Without oral communication, they would not know truth or communication. This is relatable in society today. Postman seems to fear that we are straying away from all forms of communication except for communication through technology, which would be detrimental to our society, and even answering simple questions in school would become incredibly difficult. Maybe he has a point, maybe the medium really is the message.
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"I was frustrated with myself because I could not communicate even the most obvious answer." It really annoyed me when I couldn't easily express my thoughts. This was especially the case in history, where most of the answers were more complex and nearly impossible to illustrate.
ReplyDeleteI like the point you made when you talked about how others were getting frustrated (Miss Reick)by the media you were using. It was not just the speaker having trouble, it was also the person trying to understand your message.
ReplyDeleteMaybe the medium really is the message!? It most definitely is. With a medium of illustrations I also found myself "frustrated" and even felt quite foolish.
ReplyDeleteThe medium is the message. It was impossible to do philosophy with smoke signals
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