Each evening at work, I overhear coworkers chatting with spouses and kids on the phone, planning dinner, asking about days and just checking in.
Each day at work, P and I e-mail, gchat or text about our dinner plans, days and other non-events.
Is my generation more private, more impervious to having cubicle-mates overhear private conversations? Or are we less direct, more apt to type than talk? Maybe we just embrace the convenience of not having to turn from our computers to communicate. Maybe we're just used to communicating this way.
Will workplaces become more silent as my generation ages? I find that my fellow young coworkers IM me questions and comments from 10 feet away instead of turning around and vocalizing them. Granted, sometimes these are comments not fit for everyone's ears, but usually they are things like, "Did you respond to so-and-so's email?"
I'm not sure whether to embrace this quiet, Internet-infused, generational divide. What does it say about us? How will it impact our future?
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