Once, phoning someone to have a conversation was the norm. Our dialogue carried the weight of emotion, tone, and spontaneity. Today, texting a simple “wyd?” or “ok” replaces the depth of such exchanges. With instant messaging, we are not vocalizing our thoughts the way we used to. Calling someone now feels intrusive, unnecessary, or even anxiety-inducing. Why? Because texting brings detachment. It removes the pressure to respond in real time, removes awkward silences, and lets us carefully craft our words instead of blurting them out impulsively.
Jamaican verbal communication was once vital to social and cultural life, rooted in storytelling, music, and community. From loud market conversations to lively nonsensical debates on street corners (reasoning), the spoken word was a way of connecting, sharing, and preserving history. But mobile technology replaced face-to-face conversations with the convenience of texting, stripping our interactions of tone, emotion, and depth.
This shift is noticeable among young Jamaicans who wantspeed and convenience of messages over phone calls. AUniversity of the West Indies study shows social media and instant messaging have reshaped communications, even influencing dating and friendships. While texting offers controlled and thought-out responses, it removes the impromptu and realness of verbal expression…an essential element in building strong personal and professional relationships.
Jamaican culture is deeply expressive. Our words, gestures, intonation, and body language say a lot. Our rhythmic patoiscarries meanings often lost in texts. Cultural cues like “cut eye” and “kiss teeth” are powerful expressions that add layers of meaning and tell you exactly how someone feels, something emojis don’t fully replicate. This loss of verbal interactions makes our conversations less rich and emotionally detached.
Over-reliance on texting also impacts social skills. Without vocal tone and immediate feedback, meaning is lost. Not communicating verbally often brings unease and awkwardness in face-to-face situations, affecting confidence in our interactions.
We should all reclaim verbal communication. We must valuein-person conversations and our oral traditions. We mustpromote phone calls over text for meaningful discussions to get depth and authenticity in our human connections. Digital communication has its place, but it should not replace our voices, our expressions, and the richness of the spoken word that makes Jamaican culture as spirited as we once knew it.