Hey Pandas, What Is Different About Talking Through A Screen And In Person?

I prefer to communicate with others in person. Interpersonal communication involves so much more than just talking and seeing a face on a screen. Much nonverbal communication is missed when not communicating in person.

There is very little that I would say online that I wouldn't say in person. For me the difference is time and space.

TLDR: Online, you are often restricted to a character limit, so it can take more time to think of a shorter way of saying what you wanted, in order to get your point across.

I'm an articulate person and a compelling speaker. Face to face, I've made people make life changing decisions. I've turned a flat-earther (yes, I've met one in person), made multiple anti-lgbtq+, racists, and other discriminatory people, open their hearts and minds to people of different backgrounds and lifestyles. I've made people swing the political spectrum (in both directions) just to open their minds. I've made an angry (I think some call them 'militant') feminist temper her views. I've made anti-vaccine parents change their minds.

I like test peoples beliefs and opinions, regardless of what they are. If you have strong opinions, they NEED to be tested and kept in check, and I'll be your devils advocate. You wanna protest/preach/rant about something? I'll debate you (even if I agree), to make sure you are staying level headed and rational.

But online... How am I supposed to do that with 30 words or less? How can I explain to thick-headed, stubborn, and ignorant person, the complexities involved in something that they refuse to accept without consideration, if I've only got 150 characters to work with? How can I get someone to lower their guard and be willing to listen to other possibilities, if I have to keep thinking of a way to fit an hour's conversation into 4 lines of text? How can someone face their entire belief system and the moral foundations they have been build upon, if I have to spend 10-15 mins thinking of how I can make a 30 second sentence fit this tiny little box? All while being shite at spelling!

I find it easier to talk online, like I can be the real me and not the absurd meat mecha I am in the real world....

I'm more likely to share stuff online since I can't see people's body language, which makes me less nervous. It also makes me more nervous when I'm arguing online though, for the same reason.

On a happier note, in person I always have to look up or down to talk to people because none of my friends are my height lol

anonymity makes me more confident online. i feel more confident to talk to people, and compliment them!

i can always find people who have the same interests as me :)

If I say something online, it can be screenshotted or smth. I have to be more careful about what I type than what I say because who knows if my friends will stay my friends

I’m faceless, voiceless if I must I can disappear and make a new identity but I can’t do that in person

Talking online is very convenient but it is almost impossible to show emotion. Even if you use emojis, sometimes there are none that express the exact emotion that you’re feeling. FaceTime is great but it makes me feel isolated and alone and it’s so easy to get distracted.

I guess it's like I'm not inclined to a certain character as the average friend who's there for everyone and I can talk more freely with others online.

I think its just that you aren't really talking to a person as much, since your knowledge on them is limited.

Talking to people irl is scary. I like talking to people online because I can think about my response and I don't need reply quickly. I can my true self online