Gestures and the Online World

I am the type of person who always uses gestures. When I talk, it is extremely difficult for my hands to stay still; they are constantly waving or pointing or moving in some sort of way. I had a professor once tell me that when I am giving a speech, that these sort of movements can be distracting to the audience. It was very difficult for me not to move my hands. Gestures is one of the ways that I get my point across.

Gestures are lost in the online world. They may have smiley faces and other facial expressions that can be used, but it is not the same. A graphic image may be a way of attempting to convey a gesture. However, when I see these images, I am not picturing someone smiling, laughing, crying, or frowning. All that is translated is the emotion, not the gesture.

Although technology and the online world has its advantages, there are still some things, like gestures, that cannot be replaced with a little icon in a text message or email. One on one conversations between individuals are far more effective and less misconstrued than anything presented in the online world.