Facebook vs. Face to Face

This is interesting.

I read this Saturday night.  3 John 1:13-14, “I have much more to say to you, but I don’t want to write it with pen and ink. For I hope to see you soon, and then we will talk face to face.“

I think Paul understood a distinct leadership quality.  The willingness and desire to spend time with those he was leading.

Technology has become ingrained into our personal and professional lives.  Blogs, e-mail, social networks, cell phones, etc. all designed to assist us in staying connected has only provided us an avenue to disconnect from real human interaction.  As a leader, these are great tools in communicating vision, upcoming events, or whatever needs to be broadcast.  And sometimes, a lack of time hinders our ability to spend time with others so using Facebook to “chat” becomes a great way to counter this deficiency in time.  But just because it is convenient doesn’t make it better.

Note: Please keep in mind that I’m not advocating the demise of Facebook, Twitter, MySpace (well, maybe MySpace), cell phones, etc., but these are my thoughts on why it’s nice to disconnect from them from time-to-time.

3 Reasons Why Face To Face Is Better Than Facebook

1) We were built for human interaction.

Genesis 2:18, “Then the Lord God said, ‘It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him.‘”  When God created Adam he immediately understood the importance of him having another person to interact with.  And not just interact, but to work together.

2) You can’t get everything from an instant message.

How many times have you posted to someone’s wall, commented on a status, or “chatted” with a friend to find that something you sent was taken the wrong way because you couldn’t properly illustrate your tone of voice or emotion?  The same goes with conversing via phone.  Tone of voice could be determined, but body language is still missing.  A full conversation includes all of these: body language, emotion, tone of voice, the actual words, etc.

3) You’re making a choice.

If there’s anything that makes us not God, and that is we can’t be in two places at once.  With Facebook, Twitter, text messaging, and others, a person can “be” in more than one place through a virtual environment, which is great.  But what’s even better to the person to whom you’re spending time is being in the same place physically with them.  Why?  Because you’re choosing to be in that place with them instead of being somewhere else.  You could be anywhere else in the world, but you’ve chosen to be with them.  And that’s an honor.

On a personal note

This is a huge deal for me.  As an introverted person, I find it way easier and less confusing to interact via the online world.  It also doesn’t help that I’ve chosen to immerse myself with computers at work and home.  As a leader, I have to break this habit.  I am working on this.

Video

Here’s a cool Coca-Cola video.  It delivers the message that sometimes we can get too immersed into our online worlds instead of seeing the opportunities to connect in the real world.

Coca-Cola ‘Avatar’ from Nexus Productions on Vimeo.

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Dewaine in Leadership
  • Jason F. Wilson

    Dwayne, I will be as honest as i can be. In my opinion, the social skills needed to effectively communicate with others will continue to deminish . I understand that its needed in ways but God created us to communicate face to face. I will play the tech. game but it will only be at a surface level. Face to face is when two inviduals can come to an undertanding. Again, my opinion. but I will be happy to sit down with you “face to face” and discuss this.

    • http://www.cooperland.info Dewaine

      I’ll agree that face to face is the best and the most desired way to communicate. There’s just nothing better than physically being in the same place and connecting with others. Even the most hardcore tech user knows this.