To keep up with the pace of advancement, we had to adopt fast communication. Speed has its thrill, and express communication amazed us with all the novelty & convenience that it was supposed to bring. 

But it seems that we overvalued the stimulation for far too long. While the momentum is still alive, many are dropping off from this game. They have felt the heat and chose sustainable drive over mad race.

Speed and convenience deprived us of meaningful and restorative communication. We are wounded and need to give ourselves rest from surface-level reactions. 

The World of Fast Communication

We live in an age where speed is rewarded, and quick replies are expected. There is social pressure to respond faster, and delays are often associated with a lack of responsibility. They can even trigger anxiety.

Social media, instant chat, notifications, etc., the whole ecosystem has immersed us in continuous information exchange. 

Waking up to email notifications to ending the day with a social media post status review, the unimaginable pace of our daily communication has become obvious to us. 

However, if we step back a little and compare the speed with that of just 40–50 years ago, when the average response to a letter was 2–4 weeks, we might be able to wrap our heads around how fast our current communication is.

What’s Wrong with Fast Communication?

When we drive a car faster, we achieve that speed at the cost of details in our view. There is a general awareness of the things around us, but we lack qualitative information about anything.

Similarly, quick chatting and instant calls have kept us from going in-depth in our conversations. All we have been sharing is just surface-level mental and emotional flutter. 

Be it our usual likes and dislikes, achievements, or relationship news. We keep communicating instantly as soon as there is an urge. But we never contemplate the deeper aspects of our mental states and study the patterns. 

Constant engagement develops a strong habit to release the pressure in a superficial way, rather than to delve deeper into oneself and try to resolve the underlying conflict from its roots. 

The result is quite evident. Most of us have to navigate through the exhausting cycles of temporary release and tension buildup. These cycles are exhausting because they drain us. There is no lasting rest for the mind, as the culture of fast communication has left us addicted to the short gains.

The Social Contract

Communication is a 2-sided affair. On one side, there is release, and on the other, there is absorption. And fast communication demands that the other side absorb fast.

It is a social contract that both sides have to abide by. This contract also binds the individuals to respond not only, but as fast as possible.

All of these contribute to a great recipe for building anxiety. The recipient doesn’t absorb the information in its true essence. Rather, they take in the elements superficially with the intent of reacting to them.

There is no actual processing of received information happening in the world of fast communication. Based on our defined mental patterns, we communicate back our usual reactions.

The obligation to respond fast builds pressure. As a result, the reaction that comes out is not usually the most useful & thoughtful response, but again a temporary release of the built-up pressure.

The healing effects of Slow Communication

When we switch to slow communication, we take time to process our thoughts and speak what is actually necessary. Observing our thoughts and taking time to reflect on them makes us self-aware. 

Self-awareness is the key to our sustainable physical & mental health. When we become aware of our thought patterns, the underlying tendencies that keep us shackled in negative cycles come to light, and we get the motivation to work towards their eradication.

Not only that, but self-awareness saves us from unnecessary conflicts that often come with unmindful surface-level reactions. A self-aware person loses interest in arguments because they know how these superficial thoughts result in mental conflict and destroy their peace of mind.

Additionally, slow communication doesn’t come with a hard-bound expectation to respond as soon as possible, unlike our current prevalent culture. One takes time to absorb the information fully, work out mentally all the superficial reactions that might arise, and respond meaningfully and compassionately.

Communication is meant to connect and harmonise, but for the past few decades, it has made us anxious and disconnected. Slow communication is the way forward to restore our sanity and get on the track of healing from within.

Where to begin?

Start with small steps. Reduce your short-form WhatsApp and Social media communication, and switch to long-form emails to your loved and dear ones. If you can start writing letters, there is nothing like it.

Turn off the read receipt option and be at ease. The expectations to receive messages or calls immediately have been keeping you anxious. It’s a strong habit built over the years, so a strict discipline in the beginning would be extremely useful. Set a specific time to check your messages.

It’s always easier to start the slow communication with one of your closest ones. Both of you can come to an agreement to not have any obligation to respond as soon as possible. Rather, take time to reflect and process those thoughts, and respond meaningfully from the core.