Please Don’t Talk Like You Text

I’m fascinated by technology and how it has changed the way we communicate. With my day job on a college campus, I marvel at the students who walk out of class either talking on the phone or texting as they move towards their new destination. Texting while walking may soon become as dangerous as texting while driving.

While the technology has empowered us to communicate faster and in ways that we never could before, it has also reduced in-person communication with eye contact and full sentences. Text-speak is very valuable when you are on a smart phone or operating within the 140 Twitter character limit but I caution you to not lose your ability to speak out loud as it is essential in the professional world.

To be fair, I am not just pointing a finger at the college student demographic. Many younger professionals have been reprimanded by bosses who represent a different generation when responding to an assignment with a text or Tweet. Remember, the workplace is multi-generational and even if your older boss is capable of using technology, she may just prefer the old fashioned way of talking with you face-to face.

Text-language has even permeated our spoken word since it is not uncommon to hear “LOL” and “OMG” recited out loud. It may seem cool that Anderson Cooper has used audible text-language on his show but I would strongly encourage you not to use this in your professional work environment. Comedians are sprinkling in “WTF” in their verbal skits since they know it is guaranteed a laugh but I am hopeful that they would not use it in a professional situation.

Innovation is fascinating and enriching and I applaud technology in every way. I text, I Tweet, and I have become a social media maven to market my blog, book, and speaking engagements, but when it comes to professional communication I do my best to be well spoken and articulate.

At the risk of sounding old fashioned, my fear is that people will lose their ability to speak with other humans face-to-face if we do not keep these skills sharp. At least for now, the majority of job interviews are being conducted in-person so the employer can see and hear you up close. It would be wise for all of us to keep our conversational skills sharp since this may distinguish us from people who lose their power of speech due to lack of use some day.