COMMUNICATION BREAKDOWN

Hmmm, maybe that’s a touch too dramatic, or maybe I’m on a real Led Zeppelin tangent.

Things have been moving and shaking here as kinks are ironed out and programming is adjusted. I was amazed to see the numbers that have come out so far; people seem really psyched about the network. This could have something to do with a couple of ads going up on the “barker channel” on Rogers. But one thing is clear: people like to chat. A lot. Our evening chat programs are seeing a lot of traffic. Not a surprise: shows like “Sxt it Up” are pretty popular. But the amount of noise coming in regarding the recent passing of the health care bill in the US caught me off guard.

Even within the relatively democratic realm of TXT-TV, plenty of people got caught up in the passion of the moment and hotly debated the topic; similarly to some of the debates that we’ve seen coming out of the US. Sometimes I think there might be a real problem of communication though. As we saw on CNN and the CBC over the last year – yes, an entire year – the conservatives south of the border pulled out every trick in the book, every method they could come up with, to make Americans fear health care.

And what’s to fear? Being healthier? Not paying for operations or medication? Not being refused service at a hospital? What were they on about anyways eh?

As I slowly digested their half-cocked arguments, I realized the problem wasn’t the issue (health care) at all. The entire year of debate wasn’t even a debate. It was a lot more like a professional wrestling match. Shouting, taunting, back-flips, folding chairs and tight spandex – that’s how it came across to me. Oh, and crying, lots of crying.

I still have hope though, despite the constant noise, because I know how the real world operates (ok – not fully, I just turned 25, but I can fake being a 30 year old pretty well). The real world operates pretty efficiently, because we’re all speaking the same language and we’re not trying to confuse each other. That’s why TXT-TV encourages me.

People are having a real conversation, they exchange ideas and thoughts and the moderators keep things moving fluidly. Some people are definitely more opinionated than others, but the conversation keeps rolling along, it doesn’t get stuck in a ditch, y’know? Either way, this new medium lets people speak in a new way – so we’ll speak our way and understand each other, and everyone else will just have to catch on.