Communicating Thoughts

So... for my first official post on this blog, I'll like to discuss something that struck me while I was reading the papers today.

The article was from the THE NEW PAPER ON SUNDAY, pg 37, "SHE WANTS HANDPHONE: Should I give my 8-year-old daughter a mobile?"

The article was written by S. Murali, a Dad in a dilemma about whether to give his 8-year-old daughter a mobile phone. This article is an example of the new age predicament for parents, who are obviously pressured to provide more material goods (hence, non-essential goods) to their children. It must be said that children today have many more extra activities even in primary schools and most of the current generation of parents are both working to make ends meet; resulting in less time to run about and pick after their children and therefore the mobile phone provides the next best alternative communicating tool.

But is there such a need?

I'm in no position currently to discuss whether or not to give the kid a phone as I am not yet a parent, so I have no clue as to what my priorities might be when it comes, but this evolution of
technology has definitely changed the lives of humans forever.

Today, most people wouldn't be able to leave their homes without their mobiles, since pay phones are becoming a rarity and we somehow or rather have this niggling constant urge to communicate with someone, with today's most common channel being through SMS.

Murali's article was very well written, pointing out his initial fears (like the phone being a "plaything" rather than a "real functional item"), but he also highlights the changing times and the hectic schedule of his daughter already causing a few mix-ups where either her parents/grandmother/aunt not picking her up on time or they waited hours for her because they didn't know that she had extra activities. He next takes about the pros and cons of giving his daughter a mobile, and is she too young for it? He than has a discussion with two friends with two different opinions and perceptions, the first one saying no to giving the mobile and the second friend reminding him that he is now living in the "dark ages" and emphasis why he should get his daughter a handphone simply because "you can buy a new phone for $50 theses days. Daughters costs a little more." His article ends with him agreeing with his second friend, and it ticks three very important aspects of an article, it appeals to the ethos, pathos, and logos, with credibility (him being a father, so knowing the fears of a missing child), emotion (the importance of your child not being lost ?? ), and reason (why he should indeed get his daughter the phone she craves).
My take on this?

Give the child a phone(a simple one, like those above, should suffice, since they would usually argue that it is for them to call you in case of emergency ;) as it will not only provide a better means of communicating device to their parents, but it will also allow them to blend in with all the other kids in school, who might have the latest nokia or iPhone, and not let them feel left out and be made a mockery off, after all, we all can't live without one too right?

For my very first entry on this blog,

I'll reflect on the things I've learned from my COM101 classes in week 1. Since it isn't part of the requirements for my course, I'll term this as my first "unofficial" post, to help me keep track of the things that I've taken away from lectures of this course.

On the first lesson,

I learned about the power of communications, a tool with an ability to influence our thoughts and emotions with the use of many different techniques. It is something that occurs in our daily lives - when we watch television, when we talk to friends or family, when we listen to the radio and even when we travel, with the many adverts on buses and bus-stops telling us what is supposedly good for us! Even during lessons, lecturers/teachers communicates with their students through teaching whatever is needed of the syllabus and students reply through non-verbal actions to highlight whether they understand what the teacher is saying or are they simply bored...

Right now, I'm also communicating to you!
Yes, by creating and posting on this blog, I'm communicating to whoever who take time out to sit (I’m guessing you won’t be standing, lying or doing headstand to read this) and read the words of my thoughts. This is amazing, considering I’m right here in the comforts of my home when I typed this out but by the next week, this words could have traveled and been read by many people from different places, some I know and some I don’t or maybe no one would have read this at all…
However, the fact that I have the chance to communicate my thoughts, with duplicability, to such a vast variety of people who would not have to meet me or might not have met me before, give prominence to the growth of Information Technology heightening the potential and power of communication.

We were shown a video clip about the ancient Japanese culture. Although I’m not from that era, the way the video was able communicate the emotions and the culture to the audience very aptly. It was a scene where the head of a samurai group was going to do the hara-kiri for the honor of the group. The slow pace, the music, the clothes, the setting, the close up on the different faces and emotions of the people in the room and many other things were essential for the video to be successful in artfully communicate the feelings and culture of ancient Japanese ritual.

That said, after my first lesson of any sorts with regard to communications, COM101 appears to be an interesting module based on subjective feelings. Well, it certainly seems to be much more appealing than a math…
And if I’m able to pick up anything from this course, I might just be able to communicate my thoughts better, maybe more concise and easier to interpret and understand.

Lesson 2,

So, COM 101 isn’t exactly what I thought it would be after the first lesson.
This day, we got into the course proper, with technical terms being bandied about.
Firstly, communications is the effective use of language, written or oral, with the intent of persuading the audience. It is Rhetoric, the study of effective speaking and writing, and the art of persuasion.
For rhetoric to work, it requires the understanding of Logos, the logic of the information (which must be reasonable and rationale); and the Lexis, which is the style and delivery of the speech.
What makes rhetoric are the Kairos (the opportune occasion for speech), the Audience (how an audience shapes the composition of the text and responds to it), and the Decorum (words and subject matter to fit together, to the circumstances, kairos, the Audience and the speaker).
And for the persuasion appeal to achieve its objective, it a speech must have 3 appeals:
-Logos: appeal to reason
-Pathos: appeal to emotion
-Ethos: the persuasive appeal of one’s character (eg, the credibility)

now, I believe that the above three appeals makes sense to anyone here if it was explained in English rather than Greek, but I suppose no academic subject would be academic if it doesn't use some alien terms to make us think and remember and separate those with knowledge from those that don't.

Logos, Pathos, Ethos, oh wow.

The lesson then went on to the history of Communications where there are 4 periods, namely, the Classical (where the first studies of communication begun, with the emergence of the 5 cannons), Medieval and Renaissance, modern and contemporary periods – then the three models of communication – Linear, Interactive and Transactional.
For purpose of not boring my readers with more definitions, I’ll end my first post here with a picture that was shown to us.

It depicts the organizational communication we have at our workplace or anyway social structure with a hierarchical order.

I’m sure you know what it means. ;)

For this post, I'll like to ask my readers, what do you think of the picture?

From my perspective, having been a leader of group work as well as a team member and down the hierarchy at work places, I reckon that not only those below receives all the sh!t from above but even leaders receive just as much, especially when those below don't work and thinks that you're only giving them "shit-work" to do...

I believe that it is reciprocal cycle between the top and the bottom and why those above seem to be "shitting" at those below is simply because they are communicating how they feel those below deserve to be treated... after all, a boss wouldn't treat his star worker badly right???

What do you think? do you disagree with it?