2005年9月21日，刊登于青岛早报35版

青岛早报“利文杯”全市大、中、小学生英语作文大赛获奖作品选登

顾校荣 大学组一等奖 西安政治军事学院

More and more proponents of face-to-face communication and those of less personal methods----letters, e-mails, and telephone calls----are challenging each other's beliefs. I side with the latter group's notion that speaking with people in person is outmoded. While not completely useless, personal interaction has recently been eclipsed by these other means of communication in terms of frequency and convenience. Now, especially with the advent of new technologies, less personal communication boasts many advantages.

First and foremost, e-mails and telephone calls are known for the speed with which they connect people. These electronic means allow us to transmit mundane messages and important ideas within a few seconds. They provide us with a fast and convenient way to contact people. Personal conversations generally require much more time and energy than these two methods of communication.

While they do not travel as quickly as phone calls and e-mails, letters have their own advantages. Many people keep letters as memoirs, and like the feel of something real between their fingers. I personally enjoy receiving and saving letters. I often forget or unintentionally distort conversations I have had, and, as time carries on, old letters help me to clearly recall special moments and people in my life.

Less personal forms of communication also help us avoid moments we do not want to recall. Speaking face-to-face often incites incidents of embarrassment and physical conflict. Letters, e-mails, and phone calls allow people to speak in private and without the threat of immediate confrontation. Considering proposals, requests and critiques without an impetus for strong emotions usually helps people come to sensible agreements.

Finally, cost plays a fairly significant role in my preference for less personal communication. Letters, e-mails and telephone calls are all highly welcomed for their low cost. Imagine that you must contact someone in the United States. Conducting a face-to-face conversation with that person requires spending a considerable sum of money on travel. Making a phone call or sending an e-mail, on the other hand, takes little money.

While some argue that face-to-face conversations are still practical in certain situations, the fact is people are speaking with each other less and using other methods to communicate more frequently and in a variety of different ways. Person-to-person communication is becoming outmoded. The era of less personal forms of communication has arrived.