A Tale of Two Screens

Our reality now is Work From Home. Hi-tech, low-touch. More than ever, it matters more to develop honest and authentic relationships with others and with the world. Prior to COVID19 with face-to-face interactions, the occurrence of misunderstanding, miscommunication, non-communication, lack of transparency, passive aggression, and what have you has already been high. I have a sense that this is heightened even with the onslaught of group chats, tweets, stories, vlogs, tik-toks, social media postings, emails, online learning, webinars, and online calls where timing to speak can be tricky.

Is there a way that the screen between us becomes tool for illumination -access to honesty and authenticity rather than distortion at worst divide?

Can clarity and sincerity in our messages be nurtured and heard in the noisy platforms we all converge in now? Is kindness diminished or lost as we communicate online?

When people talk about the ‘new normal’, it seems like it is a given. Perhaps yes to a certain degree. But are there nuances that we can choose to shape into being as our ‘new normal’?

What reality do our individual online presence and tools forge?

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair.” — A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens