Today’s contributors are Anthony Feint of feint.me and task.fm and Colin Wright of Exile Lifestyle.
Colin Wright
I don’t think face-to-face communication will disappear, but it will definitely evolve.
There will always be people who crave old-fashioned means of communication; I guarantee there was someone still sending telegrams until they were finally dropped from the Post Office’s list of services not too long ago.
That being said, being able to look someone else in the eyes, read their body language, etc is super-valuable when it comes to establishing a long-lasting connection, and it comes naturally to everyone (to some degree or another).
On the other hand, humans are incredibly adaptable, and I think the way we communicate (and how most prefer to communicate) will continue to change as technology does. True, body language and facial expressions are built into our genes, but already there are people who are far more comfortable communicating with hashtags on Twitter and Pokes on Facebook, and things will only escalate from here. Who’s to say some enterprising soul out there won’t come up with a method of communication that allows for even more clear and meaningful expression than exists in real life meetings?
It’s not beyond the realm of possibility, and in fact I think it’s more likely than not that this is where social networks, emails, etc will eventually converge. The Internet and technology are not going to hold still because there are people who feel weird if they aren’t able to shake hands with someone new, and anyone who doesn’t keep up with find themselves quite lonely, unable to communicate optimally with everyone else who has jumped on board.
Anthony Feint 
No, I don’t believe anything will ever replace face-to-face communication.
I look at it this way – the best chats I have, are usually on a Friday night, in a bar over a few drinks. These aren’t meaningful conversations, and probably aren’t that productive. But they’re fun and a great way to relax. Now I can’t imagine sitting in a virtual bar, drinking a virtual beer. Nothing is going to replace these face to face interactions.
Of course, this doesn’t mean technology is getting snubbed. In fact, thanks to technology I can now run a start-up with a team based in the States, the U.K and India. This could never have been achieved, at such low cost and effort, a few years ago.
So in some circumstances, like having coffee and a chat, can never really be replaced by sophisticated tech. But when it comes to business, and especially meetings, it’s not so important anymore to conduct it face to face.
So socialites have nothing to worry about; face to face is here to stay.
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I don’t mean to seem like a Luddite, but I fear where we’re going as far as communication goes. I cherish face-face interaction; I don’t dislike the Internet, but, whenever possible, I love communicating in person. Yet, I fear that people will end up accepting vid-chatting as an “acceptable” alternative to actually meeting people the old fashioned way. That, my friends, is not good. It denies us of our humanity – sterilizing communication through a screen and electronic impulses.
Colin and Anthony’s answers have put most of my fears to rest – but I still think that vid-chatting will become ubiquitous in the coming years. –Brett
Good question. My first thought is it's up to the people working together (i just can't wrap my head around the virtual beer idea just yet). If my clients were keen to interact on skype twice a week rather than meet up then that would be okay, but I have a feeling that their adaptation to technology won't be that fast. (also depends who you're working with).
I won't be able to work and produce as effectively (as a consultant) if vid replaced the 'real'. Then again, we all get used to everything in time…and hey, it would open the door to more international work if it became a norm.
While I agree that in-person, face-to-face communication is vital and important, I also think it's important to accept the reality of technological advancement: the future holds much more virtual communication than in-person communication unless someone invents a viable teleportation technology. And even then, that will just push people to greater distances and virtual communication will still be the norm.
I think the lesson to take from this is that in-person communication needs to become more valued. Technology has pushed apart families and individuals. Since we communicate far less in-person, we need to cherish and value those in-person connections that much more. We need to respect others and listen with genuine interest and give others our full attention in the moment.
While I agree that in-person, face-to-face communication is vital and important, I also think it's important to accept the reality of technological advancement: the future holds much more virtual communication than in-person communication unless someone invents a viable teleportation technology. And even then, that will just push people to greater distances and virtual communication will still be the norm.
I think the lesson to take from this is that in-person communication needs to become more valued. Technology has pushed apart families and individuals. Since we communicate far less in-person, we need to cherish and value those in-person connections that much more. We need to respect others and listen with genuine interest and give others our full attention in the moment.
Hey Rive,
Professionally, I don't know if I have much of a problem with vidchatting. It's replacing real, in-person conversation with vid-chatting sessions that scares me. There's something amazing about human, physical connections and I'd hate to disconnect from that.
Thanks for your comment!
Raam,
You're absolutely, positively, DEAD ON. I already cherish my in-person connections – I do hold them tight – and with the ubiquity of digital communication growing, I feel like I'm going to have to cherish them so much more. Not that digital communication is bad – but it's always a lot better for us to meet someone in person. As Colin said, though, maybe someone will invent some way to communicate that somehow surpasses in-person communication… Though the only thing that could possibly approach that is two-way digital telepathy. Which is really, really, really scary.
Thanks for commenting!