A Communication Epiphany

     Hello my name is Melondy Waldrup Neal. My journey in the field of Communication began at Southern Arkansas University, through a very indirect route.   That’s because during my freshman year of college, I had a secret plan. I was going to become an attorney and work for the “Mob”. Yes, seriously. I wanted to become the legal represenative for members of organized crime families.  It was a secret because no one would have believed me anyway. I was an A & B student with a background so squeaky clean my Air Force recruiter laughed at the answers on my application. Looking back, my decision was primarily influenced by my love for reading, writing and the power of words. In my senior history class I  wrote a research paper on the topic of organized crime. It was during the time research meant reading lots of magazines/ newspaper articles/ books on the subject and keeping notes on index cards. I was intrigued by the the subject.  Also, having great communication skills was a plus if you were working for the Mob.

     Thank goodness, I changed my major during my sophomore year to Television/ Broadcasting. Although, I graduated with a B. S. degree in Psychology, my initial training in the Field of Communication has been at the foundation of my career. I have over twenty years’ experience in counseling/teaching. I am a published author and owner of Level Seven Publishing. I am currently working on a Master Degree in Strategic Communications at Troy University.  As the publishing industry moves towards e- books and other forms of digital communication, staying abreast is vital for a small business owner.

    Our first week assignment in my Strategic Communication class was to create a blog, announce the title, join a discussion about traditional media and read numerous articles. While preparing my discussion answer, I decided to get thoughts on the subject from my mother and oldest son.  I shared with them that According to the Pew Research Center’s 2012 Project of Excellence in Journalism…half of all adults have access to the Internet through a smart phone or a table computer with 44 percent of U.S. adults owing a smart phone and 25 percent of U.S. adults owning a tablet computer.    We all agreed it was impossible to ignore, change had arrived in regards to the way we communicate. I told them how the mobile device was being described as a “Media Distribution Hub”.  With Smart phone users spending an average of 127 minutes in mobile apps per day, the time spent on common media distribution has been overshadowed. My son was not the least bit surprised. My mother, on the other hand, was puzzled to learn the trend was moving away from the web toward mobile devices. She has yet to send her first e-mail.

      Right in the middle of the conversation it dawned on me, we represent three distinct generations of communication. My mother who is seventy-two was born during the “Silent Generation”.  My son is a member of Generation Z born just as the Internet was being introduced to the world. As for me, I came along at the end of the Baby Boom Generation.  The only person not involved in the conversation was my thirteen year old son who has been diagnosed with Autism on the Spectrum.  He has been computer literate since the age of three. His abilities to uses all forms of technology warrants a separate blog.

     My communication epiphany happened when my mother asked my son to dial her friend’s phone number from his cell phone.  As he was dialing the number, he asked “Grandma, how do you remember all of your friend’s phone numbers? She replied “Because most of them have had the same home phone number for over thirty years”. My sons was in a state of disbelief.  I laughed because she was right. I still know lots of people in my home town who have had the same phone numbers since I was in high school. When my mother's friend did not answer the phone she said “Oh, I forgot she’s at the hospital visiting her sister”. She politely left a message wishing the family well.   I asked " Does she have a cell phone?" My mother stated " of course, she has a cell phone, why would disrupt someone during a visit at the hospital?

      I pictured how the same situation would have played out across the generations. If I had a friend with an ill sister, I would have called her cell phone. If she did not have time to talk she would have texted me; can’t talk now or sent an update on her sisters condition.  The other option would be checking my friends status on Facebook,  in boxing her a personal message or posting my concerns on her timeline. My son, in a similar situation, would most likely be in constant communication with his friend during her entire visit. They might be sending text messages back and forward,  sharing pictures on Tumbler or tweeting about the visit. What a major difference in communication styles. Then my epiphany. Can I have my home phone back? 

      My mother's situation was so different from ours. The slight degree of  communication disconnect between she and her friend actually demonstrated a greater degree of connection. My epiphany became the inspiration for my blog. Let me be clear, I will not be blogging about resisting change.  This blog is about learning to share information across generational gaps. At the end of the day my family got a glimpse of each other’s world.  After our discussion, my mother expressed she wants to learn how to use an IPad. My son plans to become a little less connected during his day.  

     During the next nine weeks,  I will be sharing the material from my Strategic Communication class. I will also include how my new knowledge is impacting my family across the generations.  It will be about encouraging followers to do the same. Reach out to individual around them who have not taken the plunge towards new ways of communicating. My son will be returning to the University of South Florida  in a few days. He wants me to introduce his grandma to Skype so she can stay in touch while he is away. She does not own a home computer so this will be a great time to teach her.

    I would like to encourage readers to post their thoughts and comments. Hopefully by  the end of the nine weeks, we will all develop a better understanding of the ongoing wave of changes in communication, while at the same time gain more respect for “those people” still holding on to the nostalgia of the paper boys arriving on time; the radio sitting on the kitchen counter top and owing a home phone.