By Nicarlyle Hanchard / The Jambar
Everyone laments about the issues that Gen Z faces with socializing. It is difficult, it is hard, but it must be done. I will not say that I am the best communicator to have entered or exited the communication department. Nor am I the most social of individuals, but I believe myself to be a decent communicator.
As we venture through our early twenties, trying to find our footing, and “establishing boundaries,” there are conversations that must be had with ourselves and those with whom we interact, which involves “open communication.”
Many people believe they are an “open communicator,” but are they really? More goes into communicating openly than just saying how you feel and leaving the conversation where it lies. One must consider the context of the conversation, the views of those involved, why those views are held, if common ground can be met and if not, what other resolutions can be reached with further discussion of the issue.
I will not lie and say it’s easy. It is not. There are many hindrances that stand tall in the path of open communication. Our cellphones are one such hindrance. Tone in written communications is indicated by choice of words. What we say may be the most encouraging and supportive thing possible, but if the choice of words implies condescension, we cannot be surprised when the recipient takes offense to the statement.
Through text, people can misinterpret and misconstrue tone, thus changing the entire meaning of the original message. It will also result in further responses being misconstrued.
We have a chain of messages that has essentially “lost the plot.” That missing plot is the key to reaching actual resolutions. And is that not the point of open communication, positive resolutions?
Tone aside, one’s actual openness to communicate is another hindrance. Many of those who say they want to have the hard conversations and support society’s new found openness are often incapable of holding these discussions.
Some are very intentional in their miscommunication. Others may not have the depth of understanding they previously had to hold these conversations. But I believe, in that instance, a slower approach can be adopted to have the conversation.
For those accused of people-pleasing, another hindrance faced is establishing boundaries when people believe they have an idea of who you are. We often feel guilty about “standing our ground.”
I know it’s a cliché, but it happens. Some also feel guilty about attempting to openly express their thoughts and feelings because it is otherwise “out of character.” In this instance, being passive aggressive would only worsen the outcome of the conversation. Again, the intention behind open communication, for me at least, is positive resolutions.
Where do we go from here? As individuals, Gen Z or otherwise, we have to evaluate how open we actually are to having conversations that may or may not go in our favor. I hope we can move toward more open communication as society progresses.
