Jonathan Jiang

Recent experience with emails for me has reinforced my belief that email is a poor mode of communication outside of business or logistical purposes. Apparently, I’m not a lone in this opinion. The Christian Science Monitor reports a study on email interpretation. Old, but informative.

It’s all about me: Why e-mails are so easily misunderstood

Morris and Lowenstein are among the scholars studying the benefits and dangers of e-mail and other computer-based interactions. In a world where businesses and friends often depend upon e-mail to communicate, scholars want to know if electronic communications convey ideas clearly.

The answer, the professors conclude, is sometimes “no.” Though e-mail is a powerful and convenient medium, researchers have identified three major problems. First and foremost, e-mail lacks cues like facial expression and tone of voice. That makes it difficult for recipients to decode meaning well. Second, the prospect of instantaneous communication creates an urgency that pressures e-mailers to think and write quickly, which can lead to carelessness. Finally, the inability to develop personal rapport over e-mail makes relationships fragile in the face of conflict.