Presentation Skills That Will Take You to the Top (Collection)

42. Nonverbal Communication: Look Them in the Eye

Major newspapers, along with countless other print publications, have focused on what is rapidly becoming their chief competition (and perhaps successor): electronic communication, especially electronic social networking. Text messages, emails, blogs, Facebook, and Twitter, although lacking the organizational breadth and professional depth of newspapers, have clearly encroached on print territory.

One of the major side effects of this cultural change is in the area of interpersonal communication, particularly among young people. A Wall Street Journal article, “Why Gen-Y Johnny Can’t Read Nonverbal Cues,” focused on these dynamics. The article described “a culture where young people—outfitted with ...