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I read this interesting article from the New York Times the
other day. It dealt with our online etiquette and how it has changed over the
years. What fascinated me most about this article was the validity of the
author’s main point. He stated that most people have less patience when it
comes to receiving thank-you emails, texts, or requests for information easily
found on Google.
When email first started becoming the normal communication
medium for businesses, it was customary to send a thank-you email, or even an
“I got your email” email. Nowadays, it appears more people are becoming
increasingly frustrated by these types of emails. According to Baratunde
Thurston, co-founder of Cultivated Wit, he has seen “decreasing amounts of
tolerance for unnecessary communication because it is a burden and a cost.” In
a world where time is money and everyone is scrambling to get more of both,
unnecessary communication is becoming more of a hindrance, rather than a rule of
etiquette.
This annoyance is not just with email however. It carries
over into voicemail and simple requests easily answered by Google. A few years
ago, when someone left you a voicemail you generally listened to it without a
moment’s hesitation or pause. There was no annoyance, but rather a curiosity as
to who left you the voicemail in the first place and the urgency of the
message. Now, according to the article in the New York Times, people are
frustrated when you leave them a voicemail. The author states that the reason
for this is because so many people are attached to their mobile devices, and it
is so much easier to send a text rather than leave a voicemail that you have to
listen to. This process is considered time consuming.
Then there’s Google. I have found this to be particularly
true, that when someone asks me what the weather is, I find myself annoyed.
There are times I don’t know what the weather is going to be and I have to look
it up on my phone anyway. So, in my head I’m wondering why they didn’t just
look it up in the first place. Then again, there is something to be said of
human interaction. After all, it is true what they say, that you can’t trust
everything you read on the Internet. In the case of checking weather however, I
think as a general rule you are safe with what you see online.
While this article has some key points, there are still some
people that prefer to talk to you on the phone rather than through text, who
want to ask you personally about something, or who still insist on sending you
a thank-you email. So, what do you do?
In any given situation, it is always best to know your
audience. Also, keep in mind the context of the situation. For example, if you
want to know someone’s schedule for the week, a text is probably not the most
efficient way to ask for this information. Giving them a call, or even letting
them respond via email will not only please your audience, but you are likely
to get the information you are searching for quicker. It is much faster to talk
on the phone or type on the computer than it is to text, so most people would
prefer these communication mediums when asking complex questions. For simple
notes, such as telling someone you are on your way to the meeting, a text is
sufficient.
All in all, you want to make sure you understand the
audience and the situation when deciding how to contact someone. You also want
to keep in mind the evolving technologies and how people are using them. Say
for instance, video communication. If you see an upward trend in the amount of
video conferencing, chances are more people will prefer this communication
(just giving an example).
Well that is all for this week. What do you guys think? Are
you annoyed by simple emails, voicemails, and simple questions? Or do you think
that this type of etiquette should still be in use regularly?
Let me know your thoughts below, and as always, I thank you
for listening.
Until next time,
Julie
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