Writing As A Form of Communication

Writing as a Form of Communication

When writing as a form of communication, there are multiple ways to approach this topic. First, you have to consider the context in which you will be writing. Is it in a professional manner, such as a business email or letter? Are you writing in a social setting, such as a text message to a friend? When you take all of these factors into consideration, you’re better able to convey what you intend to. For businesses, emails and letters may sometimes be the only way they are able to get information to a client effectively. The business must first examine certain themes, or ‘buzz words,’ that will grab the reader’s attention. This allows the client to see that the business really is looking out for their needs. Being an effective communicator in a professional setting makes it easier to grasp the ideas they wish to convey, who they wish to convey it to, and the right word selection. We are taught growing up that certain words produce a sense of professionalism. Words and phrases such as sincerely, dear, to whom it may concern, regards, best wishes, etc., are all effective and proper ways to address an individual and end an email or a letter. Using these terms not only provides proper communication between two professionals but allows the reader to understand how you wish to proceed with all further interactions. However, in a social setting, this varies on a vast level. When addressing friends in a text message, Facebook message, or on other social media sites, society as a whole tends to forget that ‘actual’ words exist. Today, we have such an extensive knowledge of acronyms. When using acronyms, we sometimes lose the meaning of the way things are supposed to sound. If you happen to be writing a text to your significant other and you abbreviate ‘I love you’ to ‘ILY,’ your significant other may think you’re not taking the relationship as serious as they are. In social situations, communication can become convoluted in a matter of a few measly words.

Writing is able to have a negative effect on not only society, but each individual as well. Words are construed, as a whole by society, as a way to get a point across. When words are taken and strung together in a way that is offensive, oppressive, or derogatory to another individual or business, people take notice. Libel is just one way shown to have a negative effect on a person or a business. Libel, by definition, is a “published false statement that is damaging to a person's reputation; a written defamation.” This unlawful act has serious repercussions associated with it. Writing untrue statements about people, places, or businesses leads others to believe they are true. Negative writing can be viewed much like the ‘rumor mill’ at a high school. What you read (or hear in the rumor mill case), may not be true, but are you going to second guess it without checking? Probably not. If you read a review from someone saying ‘I ate at restaurant A, and it was terrible! The service was poor, the food was undercooked, and the lighting was so inadequate, I couldn’t even stand to look at my date!,’ you’re most likely going to skip ever eating at that restaurant and in turn, that restaurant loses revenue. Words hold a much greater meaning than any of us realize in our day-to-day lives. Whether they are positive or negative, words are what form our attitudes towards others and each facet of our society.