Interpersonal Communication Journal Analysis

For this journal entry I chose to focus on interpersonal communication. The term interpersonal communication refers to two-person and face-to-face interactions. It is the most frequently used and, arguably the most important form of communication humans undertake. Our survival as social beings depends in large part on our interpersonal communication skills (p. 129). Whenever we tell a joke to a friend, ask a professor a question, succumb to a sales pitch, text our plans to a family member, IM a classmate, or express our love to a romantic partner, we are engaging in interpersonal communication (p. 130). I use my interpersonal communication skills every day from the time I wake up to the time I go to bed. There are many ways that I use this skill. I talk face-to-face with my fiancé about what the plan will be for the day, what to do for meals, and there might be some talking about cars. My face-to-face conversations with my children are usually about school, video games, and cars. I use text messages every day as an easy way to stay in touch with my mom and sisters. I have face-to-face conversations with co-workers at work about client’s progress or decision making. There are also face-to-face interactions with clients, where I answer questions and give advice.
Most of the people with whom we communicate online are people we already know offline, people do meet and form relationships over the Internet. Online dating services offer the possibility of new kinds of romantic attachments. Chat rooms and discussion groups provide places to share information with new acquaintances. And social networking services make it possible to collect hinders of Internet “friends.” Other media such as cell phones, text message systems, email, and instant messaging (IM) are an integral part of everyday interactions. Nowadays, few, if any, relationships are conducted solely offline (p.