I've noticed a growing trend, and I'm sure you have too. The more viable options we have for indirect communication the more that people want to use them instead of authentic person to person interactions.
I used to think it was just something I was noticing because I wanted to - like when you used to prepare a hypothesis in Science class and set about trying to prove yourself right so I started outwardly identifying my realization to my friends and people I'd meet at events or at social functions. They identified the same patterns in people being elusive about direct methods of communication.
After putting together a quick few social experiments I decided to find out if on a trial per trial basis if people would choose digital communication over a more direct method ie: would people choose to engage in communicative behaviors in person or on the phone, instead of using digital devices and methods like email, text messages, or social media arenas.
To test this theory, not only would I have to prepare to have myself available on all of the functions available, but I would have to be prepared to ask them how they would prefer to be reached and list the options - clearly identifying each one as an option they could choose - and allow the individual to guide the conversation instead of me to identify what areas of conversation they were most comfortable discussing (which believe me was a task as with my profession in media and social events leads me to be a more dominant conversationalist).
I devised the following methods of contact for myself: identifying another event they could see me at, by telephone (not identifying if it was a mobile text ready device), email, by facebook, or by taking my business card. I'd also present the options or methods of getting a hold of them in equal opportunity - as in asking which would be preferable to reach them at.
13 lucky people (who will remain anonymous as they were unaware that they were the subjects in my little experiment) that were chosen at random at various social venues/events were engaged in face to face conversation. 13 because I needed 10 who would receive the conversation in a positive manner - I found it quite funny how 3 of the intended individuals were closed off to social conversation at events where social behavior was encouraged and meeting new people was normal.
I'll break the results down into two categories of finding as the 10 people either comfortably ventured into business oriented conversations or were receptive to discussing ideas and personal social activities.
The 7 (70%) who ventured into discussions on business topics (ie: what they did for work, accomplishments in their field, and trends coming up in their lives of work) all chose non-direct methods of conversation. None of them asked for my phone number, 1 of them asked for my email, all 7 wanted my facebook, and 1 (the same who asked for my email) wanted my business card.
The 3 (30%) who ventured into personal experiences and opinions responded to continuing conversation at a later time in this fashion: 1 of them said they'd take my number if it was a mobile number so they could text me (I asked them if they'd actually call the number and the topic was quickly changed to my email), 2 wanted my email (1 of them being the same person who wanted to text), again all 3 wanted my facebook, and 1 (the same person who wanted to text and have my email) wanted my business card.
All 10 of the people welcome to conversation appeared to be at the event or establishment solo and either using mobile devices or appeared to be looking for someone to talk to while the other 3 were unreceptive to the idea of meeting someone new (2 excused themselves after the formalities of saying hi and exchanging names, while the other 1 actually rudely cut me off after I'd said hello by shooting a look of disbelief and saying ‘I'm busy' before walking away).
My findings on both categories were similar - Nobody wanted to accept an invitation to meet at another event or wanted to identify an event they were attending, nobody wanted to exchange numbers to call the other (with one wanting to text only), 30% wanted to exchange emails, everyone wanted to exchange facebook account information, and 20% wanted my business card.
This immediately draws the conclusion that my hypothesis within the test group are true - nobody wanted to engage in direct communication while everyone wanted to pursue indirect or non-personally engaging digital methods of communication.
