In today’s world, technology runs the show. Even before we were all forced to quickly find ways to stay in contact with each other, our world was connected by technology and the internet in a way which has never been seen before in history. But now that coronavirus shutdowns across the world have basically stopped all face to face communication, communicating through technology has become even more common, which brings up the question: Which form of communication is better?

It’s no argument that it’s simpler to contact someone through technology than to try to meet them face to face. Instead of finding a time, date, and place which works for both people, spending hours making sure you look decent enough to go out in public, and then taking the time to actually find the place where you are supposed to meet your friend, communication through technology is as simple as sending a text or email and waiting for a response. Additionally, some people find that using social media or texting to interact with people is less stressful because they can hide behind a screen instead of having to find the courage they need to walk up to someone and start a conversation.

But while contact through technology might be easier and simpler, there is a certain human connection that is lost when we communicate this way. When a person receives a text from someone, they can see what the other person is trying to say, but it’s a lot harder to figure out what tone someone is trying to convey without being able to read their facial expressions or body language. People are hard enough to understand when we are talking to their face; it’s even more complicated when that third dimension of communication- non-verbal communication- isn’t there for us to examine. While webcams and video conferences make up for this, there is still that feeling of human touch- whether it be a hug from a friend, or a cheerful highfive- which we are deprived from. We can’t deny that face to face connections have a better quality than those which occur over the internet. Even in a world which is so technologically connected, it’s still important to maintain face to face relationships.

Nonetheless, even in times like this, where face to face interactions are impossible, it is still important to stay connected with those who you care about. It might not be possible to see each other in person, but we thankfully still have other ways to talk to each other. There are benefits to being this connected through technology, and these have become more obvious since the start of the coronavirus shutdown. No matter how we communicate with one another, as long as we keep in touch with our friends and families, we will be able to get through all this uncertainty. This too shall pass, and after it does, we will be able to once again communicate with each other in person. But until then, we should utilize the other means of communication we have in order to stay connected and help each other during this difficult time.