If you own a cell phone, there is a good chance you have sent or received a text message. This kind of non-verbal communication is the preferred method by many people today and this situation is spreading.
A recent article from the Lowell Sun examines how communication is changing and the fact that it is impacting life in unforeseen ways.
One such incident happened in Kalamazoo, Michigan, during a robbery in 2011. The culprit was cornered by police and a negotiator was brought in. However, the suicidal criminal preferred to communicate through text messages, something neither the negotiator nor any other police office was prepared for. These kinds of conversations are delicate and need to be handled with care.
According to Red Bank, Tennessee Police Chief Tim Christol, has started including text message training because important voice cues like tone, inflection and emotions are no longer in place and only seven percent of communication is words.
The police were able to create a rapport, understand the situation and bring it to a peaceful conclusion.
"Texting might not be your type, but its impact on the way we interact will only grow," the article reads. "If that's the only way police negotiators can earn the trust of an emotionally disturbed individual weighing suicide or taking the lives of others, what choice do they have?"
This shows how basic communication trends are pointing toward a text message lead world. With the help of an SMS service provider, any company can create a way to embrace this system and take operations to a new level.
